Mistletoe and You
by harperpitt
Summary: Two little girls become instant friends, and their single parents are thrown into the game. Will their bruised hearts merge? AH, Christmas shortie.
1. Chapter 1

Summary:

Two little girls become instant friends, and their single parents are thrown into the game. Will their bruised hearts merge? AH, Christmas shortie.

**A/N:**

**Hello, dear readers!**

**This is my Christmas gift to you (and to myself, LOL) It was supposed to be a one-shot, but I got carried away and it became a little longer, now consisting of 12 chapters, one of which I will post every day. **_**Wake Up and Dream**_** will continue posting somewhere between Friday and Sunday as usual.**

**I wish each and every one of you a wonderful Christmas and a very happy 2012.**

**As usual, the fantastic dellaterra betas this story. Thank you, thank you, thank you.**

**Oh, and I do not own Twilight.**

**=oooOooo=**

**MISTLETOE AND YOU**

**=oooOooo=**

**ONE**

Bella Swan was tired. Actually, she was so tired that she didn't even bother to take off her shoes before she collapsed on her bed, falling asleep instantly.

She had set the alarm to wake her an hour later, and when it did, she felt fuzzy and confused. Her bedroom had grown dark over just the space of that hour, the dark December afternoon enveloping Seattle as if it were already night.

Bella took a couple of deep breaths and forced herself to leave the glorious comfort of her cozy bed. She loved it. It was king-sized, with an enormous purple bedspread made of rich velvet. She would never allow anyone's shoes to touch it. Thank God that Paulie hadn't caught her doing it.

Yawning and stretching, Bella walked into the bathroom, splashing water on her face and quickly brushing her teeth, which made her feel a little more human again. She slipped into her thick duffle coat and left the apartment, once again cursing Jasper for putting that damned mistletoe over her front door. As if that would make someone stop by and kiss her!

She wound her way through rush hour, not wanting to be late. Madame Sasha didn't react well to that, as Bella knew from her own experience. She probably shouldn't have indulged in that nap, but she'd just been so deadly tired after a night that had ended at six a.m., after four hours of sleep. She had grown used to it over the years, exhaustion being her constant companion, and she accepted it, yet sometimes Bella longed for the careless days of her youth, the days before she had to act like a grown-up twenty-four/seven.

Bella put the car in park and hurried up the steps to the dance studio. The little foyer was already filled with moms waiting to collect their daughters from the weekly ballet lesson. Bella chatted with Emily Young for a couple of minutes before the doors burst open and twenty little girls came rushing out, squealing and shouting and running into their mothers' open arms.

"Mommy, mommy, mommy!"

Small arms wrapped around her neck as Bella's heart made a light, happy jump the way it always did when Paulie was back with her, her tiny body all warm and animated after the excitement of the day.

"Hey, sweetie pie!" She kissed the little girl's cheek. "Did you enjoy yourself?"

"We made piroettos!" Paulie told her excitedly, while Bella helped her put on her little coat. It was pink, which was Paulie's favorite color.

"And Madame Sasha said we will all be very good at the recital!" Her large, dark eyes, the same as her mother's, were sparkling with joy. The recital had been an important topic for some time now, dominating their dinner conversations. Paulie had been attending Madame Sasha's ballet center for two years, her granddad Charlie gladly paying the fee.

Bella wrapped the pink scarf around Paulie's neck and helped her put on her mittens and the pink woolen hat with mouse ears.

"Ready to go?" she smiled, taking her little girl's hand.

The drive home passed quickly while Paulie recounted all the happenings of her lesson, including Jessica Stanley's mishap when she landed on her butt during the Dance of the Little Elves.

Bella and Paulie were both snorting with laughter, enjoying themselves thoroughly. Although Bella was aware of the fact that making fun of other kids was not exactly appropriate parental behavior, she couldn't help herself. Firstly, her daughter's way of telling a story was too adorable. Secondly, Jessica Stanley _was_ a horrible brat, the spitting image of her loud, overbearing mother.

Bella, of course, would never utter any of these thoughts in her daughter's presence, so she steered the conversation to a safer topic.

"How was your afternoon with Jazzy, sweetie pie?"

"We made broccoli hedgehogs for lunch!"

Paulie launched into a lengthy account of her culinary adventures with her godfather, Jasper, Bella's closest friend since they were both eleven years old. Jasper Whitlock was the male presence in Pauline Charlotte Swan's life, trying as much as he could to fill in the gap left by Paulie's biological father, James. Charlie, Bella's dad, was a wonderful grandfather, but Bella had always felt that it was healthy for her daughter to have Jasper as a kind of father figure.

Well, as much of a father figure as his bitch of an ex-wife had allowed him to be until they finally divorced six months ago. Bella still got angry when she thought of all the tears and pain Maria had caused her darling Jasper before he finally got rid of her after finding out what his loving and devoted wife had been up to behind his back. The mere idea made Bella's blood boil.

"… and we made Play-Doh bunnies wiv Christmas hats!" Paulie told her from the backseat of the car.

Bella couldn't help the nostalgic smile that spread over her face whenever she heard the remainders of her daughter's lisp. Paulie had turned five in August, and she was changing so fast it sometimes made Bella's heart tear. To her, it felt like only yesterday that she had carried her tiny newborn out of the clinic, flanked by Jasper and her dad.

"Do you have them with you? Or are they at Jazzy's place?"

"No, they're at Jazzy's because he said they might be hurt if I twansported them."

"Oh, but that's okay, right?" Bella said as she pulled into the parking garage. "We're going there the day after tomorrow, remember?"

"Can we make a swing for the bunnies?"

"Of course, sweetheart."

Bella and Paulie had a simple dinner of grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato salad, after which Paulie took a bubble bath, squealing happily when Bella attacked her with the numerous plastic ducks that were sitting on the edge of the tub.

Wrapping her little girl in a fluffy towel, Bella carried Paulie into her bedroom, helped her put on her Smurfs pajamas and tucked her into bed.

"Night-night, sweetie pie," Bella whispered softly.

"Nightie… mommy…" her daughter replied, already falling asleep.

Bella took a moment to inhale her scent before she left Paulie's room, leaving the little night-light on.

Having made sure that Paulie was settled in for the night, Bella sat on the couch in the living room. She had a bottle of Merlot, a glass, and a corkscrew. The clock above the TV told her that it was just after eight p.m. Bella yawned, and grabbed her phone, opening the bottle of wine and pouring a good amount of it into her glass before she pulled up her legs up under her body and speed-dialed the number for her nightly call.

The sound of furry feet galloping across the wooden floors of her living room startled her the second her best friend answered the phone.

"Bell?"

"Oh, shit!"

"Bell?"

Had she not been so annoyed at the fact that she'd forgotten to put Paulie's rabbits back in their huge cage, she would have found the little animals cute, but one of the cute little animals was shitting on her carpet _right now_!

"No, no, no, no, no!"

"Sorry, darlin'" answered Jasper. "What's happenin'?"

"Oh, fuck, I'm sorry, Jazz. The fucking rabbit. Why does it have to leave a shit trail wherever it fucking goes?"

Jasper chuckled. "How can such a well-behaved and pretty little girl have a mother this foul-mouthed?"

"Gee, you're such a charmer, Jazzy…"

"How was your day, lollipop?" Jasper asked, using the nickname he had given Bella in sixth grade.

"Let me just carry this little shitter back to where it belongs. I mean, there are two of them, and they're supposed to be happy, and not shit everywhere. _Jazzy_!"

It was Jasper who had bought the rabbits for his goddaughter after all!

Paulie had been whining about wanting a dog for ages, and Bella had to explain to her, time and again, that a dog would not be very happy if he had to stay by himself all day during the week, so the bunnies had been a compromise.

Holding the telephone between her chin and collarbone, Bella carried the little animal back to its cage and grabbed a roll of paper towels from the kitchen, proceeding to clean up the mess while she asked Jasper about his afternoon with her daughter.

"She was adorable," her friend replied. "As always."

"Did she take a nap?"

"Yeah, after I read the first chapter of _Sam Pig_ to her."

"Oh Jazzy," Bella sighed, dropping back on the couch and taking a large gulp of her wine.

"Where would I be without you?"

"I love you, Bell. And Paulie."

"And I love you. Are we still on for tomorrow?"

"Sure. I'll bring the bagels, and Rosie and Em are making eggnog."

"For brunch?" Bella giggled.

"You know my sister," Jasper chuckled. "I think she's also planning on bringing some of her legendary homemade cornbread. I'll be over around eleven. 'kay?"

"Okay." Bella tried to suppress a yawn. "I'm sorry. I guess I should drag my ass to bed…"

"Yeah, sure. After all, it's nine p.m. on a Friday night," Jasper said mockingly.

"Nine p.m. for a mom who got up at six and had one stinker of a day," Bella corrected him. Mondays to Thursdays, she had the early shift at the reception desk of L'Auberge Huilen, the hotel where she'd been working for the past three years. She started at eight and finished at two, giving her time to collect her daughter from kindergarten. Fridays, though, she had a long day and didn't finish until half past four.

Bella had dropped out of college once Paulie arrived, originally planning to return after six or seven months, but things weren't that easy. Though Charlie had a nice pension and supported her as much as he could, she needed to make money, and she didn't have the chance any longer to study abroad for a year as she had originally planned. Her goal had been to become a literary scholar, and she had been planning to go to London to work on her dissertation. The British Library would have given her all the insight and papers she needed to study the influence of 19th century women's novels on current literature. Whenever she had a chance, she still worked on it, but there were times when it seemed like a hopeless endeavor to Bella.

Most of the time, she enjoyed her work at the hotel, however repetitive it sometimes would get. With the upcoming holidays, it had been busy all day.

"Really, Bell," Jasper said. "Paulie could have stayed with me tonight, and you could have taken Angela up on her offer. When's the last time you went out?"

"That, you know exactly," Bella returned. "It was in August, and it was with he-who-shall-not-be-named."

"Oh right," Jasper chuckled. "The Slobberer, right?"

"Don't remind me," Bella groaned. "I am never dating again after that experience!"

Jacob, the guy in question, had been nice enough, even though his bodybuilder stature was not really Bella's type, but he was warm-hearted and easy to be with. They had dated for about a month when Bella decided that he just didn't do it for her, which was mainly caused by the fact that his kisses were wet and slobbery.

"It was like making out with a spaniel," she giggled, Jasper joining in after a moment. "Or like your mouth was in the car wash… Ugh," she shuddered remembering it.

"Still," Jasper insisted when they'd had their fair share of laughs about Bella's former date. "You should go out once in a while."

"What's the point?" Bella huffed, refilling her glass. "I don't dance, the wine at my place is fine, and I'm certainly not looking for a man."

Jasper sighed softly. Bella hadn't been lucky in that department for a long time. Ever since James, Paulie's father, had left her after learning that she was pregnant, to be precise. He wasn't ready to fill that position, he'd said, and had taken off to California with Vicky Hunt, his redheaded, fake-titted ex-girlfriend. And that had been that.

Enough, Jasper had to admit, to make any woman go off men. Still, he knew that his best friend deserved to be happy, and he completely believed that there was someone out there waiting for her. Which in itself was remarkable, considering the heartbreak he had recently been through with Maria.

"I'm not saying you should be looking, Bell," he insisted. "I'm saying you might have a little fun. You're twenty-seven, for God's sake! The fact that you have a child doesn't mean that life is over."

Bella sighed. They had this conversation at regular intervals, and she loved Jasper for trying to help her be happy - or _happier_ - but she didn't think it was necessary. She was happy. Happy enough.

She had a wonderful little girl, great friends, and a job she didn't hate. That was more than a lot of people could actually say about themselves, wasn't it?

Sure, it would sometimes be nice to have someone to share stuff with. Someone to share the small and big moments with, someone to share the burden of being a single mom with. On the other hand, she _did _have Jasper. Things were much easier since Maria had left the picture, too. If she was honest with herself, Bella had to admit that sometimes the thought crossed her mind that in all probability Jasper wouldn't stay single forever, and that it scared her a little.

The two friends talked a little longer about inconsequential things, laughing a lot, then making plans for the following day. It was after ten when they ended the call, and Bella was a little tipsy from the wine. She switched off all the lights before she went to the bathroom to get ready for bed.

She brushed her teeth, groaning slightly at the pain in her back from standing so long at work, and decided to take a shower. She shed her clothes, putting them on the washing machine, and stepped under the hot spray, moaning at the sensation as it relaxed her tight muscles. She scrubbed herself with a massage glove, rubbing over her skin. She sighed, and tried not to pay too much attention to her thighs and stomach. Her body had never changed back to how it used to be before Paulie was born. Most of her baby weight had been lost over the first six months, but there were sixteen vicious pounds that would not go away.

It wasn't something that bothered her in everyday life; she was far too busy with her daughter and work and keeping things going. She didn't think about her body a great deal.

Bella left the shower and slipped into her fluffy white robe, wrapping her hair in a towel. She wiped the mirror clear of condensation and applied moisturizer and the antiaging gel she'd bought last month on a whim. Sometimes Bella felt that she was much older than twenty-seven, but then, all her friends would attest to the fact that she was an old soul.

That night, when Bella Swan went to bed, she felt more like a lonely soul.

**=oooOooo=**

**Thank you for reading; I'd love to hear your opinion!**

**See you tomorrow!**


	2. Chapter 2

**=oooOooo=**

**TWO**

"Wow, what are those guys doing?" Rosie exclaimed.

Throughout their brunch, there had been noises from upstairs that sounded like furniture being moved, nails being hammered into walls and a drill being used several times.

"I think someone's finally moving into the apartment above ours," Bella explained, chewing on a piece of cheese while she tried to stop Pete, Rosie and Emmett's two-year-old son, from tugging at her hair. "It's been empty for months, ever since old Mr. Ateara moved in with his daughter."

"Huh," Emmett commented as he tucked into his third croissant. "Odd, isn't it, that it was vacant so long. I mean, this is a nice neighborhood, and your apartment is, well, _nice_." He grinned, showing his dimples. At six-foot-four and the stature of a wrestler, Emmett McCarty looked like a bull in a china shop in most surroundings, Bella's girly, two-bedroom home being no exception.

"Thank you so much, Em," Bella joked.

"I liked Mr. Atara," Paulie said from her spot on Jasper's lap. "He's so winkly though."

"That's right, darlin'," Jasper drawled. His and Rosie's family had moved from Texas to Seattle sixteen years ago, but he'd never been able to shed the accent. He openly used it to beguile the ladies, which could be hilarious at times, but was also very successful. Jasper was currently writing his dissertation on Hollywood's treatment of the Civil War, and his charm had ensured him many a copy where no copying was permitted, and countless newspaper articles that weren't normally accessible had found their way to Jasper Whitlock's eyes.

"Pau-wee!" Pete shrieked, waving his pudgy arms in the direction of Bella's daughter, who smiled proudly at the toddler's name-dropping. "Mommy, can I show him my new ballerina Barbie?"

"Of course, darling," Bella replied, kissing her daughter's head before she rushed off to her room.

Pete's interest in the proffered object disappointed Paulie somewhat. The little boy was more eager to chew on the head of the plastic doll than to appreciate her beauty. The two kids ended up on the floor playing with Paulie's old toy blocks. She was clearly unchallenged, but stayed patient for the sake of her little friend while the grown-ups talked and laughed at the table.

It was getting dark outside when the small party broke up, Tupperware being collected and hugs exchanged. Pete threw a small fit when Rosie dressed him in his little snow boots, which he hated for some reason, but calmed down when Paulie presented him with a chocolate Santa.

"Four more weeks till Christmas, Pete," she informed him, holding up four fingers. "I want Santa to bring me a dog. What do you want?"

Pete was already trying to eat his Santa, complete with the tinfoil, so Emmett had to take it from him, which resulted in another hissy fit.

"And that's what happens when little boys don't take their afternoon nap," sighed Rosie as she kissed Bella's cheek. "Bye, sweetie. I'll call you tomorrow, okay?"

Once everyone had left, Bella cleaned the mess away and loaded the dishwasher. Paulie helped her by wiping the table and handing her the leftovers as Bella stored them in the fridge. Bella made carrot and cucumber sticks with guacamole and baked potatoes for dinner, which they had in the kitchen. It was Saturday, which usually meant that Paulie got to stay up an hour longer and watch a movie with her mom. Tonight's choice was _Enchanted,_ which suited Bella just fine. Paulie squealed every time that Pip, the chipmunk, appeared and Bella did the same, only silently, whenever Patrick Dempsey and his McDreamy hair made an entrance. They had hot cocoa with marshmallows and thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

It was halfway through the movie that the doorbell rang, startling them.

"Maybe Jazzy forgot something?" Paulie suggested.

"He would have called," Bella responded, debating who it might be at seven-thirty on a Saturday night.

She was on her way to the door when someone knocked from the other side.

"Yes?" she called. "Who is this?"

"Um, hi," a male voice answered her from the other side. "Sorry to bother you. I'm your new neighbor from upstairs. Thirteen F?" It sounded like a question.

Bella opened the door a little, taking a look at her caller through the gap provided by the security chain.

She could make out a tall figure, tousled hair and lively green eyes.

"Hi," the stranger said. "I'm Edward Cullen." He smiled, a little crookedly perhaps. "Sorry to disturb you, but we just moved in, and the power went down. I guess I hit something with my drill and blew a fuse. I was going to ask if you have a flashlight."

He moved slightly, and it was only then that Bella became aware of the fact that he was carrying a child on his hip, apparently his own, because the hair was the exact same shade of chestnut, and it was just as wild. She decided that no rapist, thief or murderer carried around a kid with Christmas Elmo pajamas, and closed the door, unhooking the chain and opening it fully.

Before Bella stood the most attractive man she had ever seen in her life. Attractive was a grave understatement even. He was so beautiful it seemed close to ridiculous, as if he had stepped out of the pages of _Vogue Homme._ He was tall and broad-shouldered, the rather tight-fitting grey sweater he was wearing hinting at muscular arms and pecs. A little chest hair peeked out at the base of his throat.

His face was that of a movie star, or a young god. It looked like it had been chiseled out of marble, from the high cheekbones to the long, fine nose and the sharp jaw line. His lips were full and pouty, almost girlishly so, which was delightfully contrasted by the light scruff that covered his chin. His eyebrows were a little bushy, framing a set of almond-shaped, vibrant green eyes with lashes so long Bella would have killed to call them her own. His hair was a complete mess, chestnut and brown strands pointing in every direction.

"I'm Edward," he said, stretching out his hand to shake hers. He smiled again, and it made Bella's mouth go dry.

She reached out to take his hand, and when it closed around hers, it was warm and strong, sending a little tingle all the way up her arm.

"Bella," she said. "Bella Swan. It's nice to meet you, Edward. Yeah, sure, I can lend you a flash."

The child on Edward's hip who had been hiding in her dad's shoulder was now eyeing her curiously. Yes, definitely his daughter. The likeness was obvious, especially with the hair. Hers was longer and a little curlier, but the same color, and her eyes had the same exotic shape as his, only hers were a clear blue.

"And who is this little lady?" Bella asked with a smile.

"Won't you say your name, honey?" Edward encouraged the girl gently.

"I'm Lucy," she said softly.

"Hello, Lucy. I'm Bella."

Lucy smiled and pressed her face against her dad's neck.

"Mommy? Is it Jazzy?"

It now was Paulie's turn to join them, tugging Bella's sleeve as she stood next to her in the doorway, gazing at the two visitors.

"No, sweetie," Bella said, pulling her daughter into her side. "It's our new neighbors from upstairs, Edward and Lucy."

"Oh, them who were so noisy all day?" Paulie deadpanned.

"Gosh, I'm so sorry," Edward was quick to apologize. "I guess I should have put up a note in the hallway or something. It – "

"No problem," Bella assured him immediately. "You didn't disturb us. We were just commenting earlier that somebody must be moving into the apartment after all, because it had been vacant for so long."

"Mr. Atara used to lived there," said Paulie.

"That's right," Bella smiled. "And this little know-it-all is my daughter, Paulie."

"Hi, Paulie," Edward greeted her, bestowing her with the same, charmingly crooked smile he had given her mother. "You're right. We were a little loud, but that's because we had to put up things all day. And then, just now, I must have drilled somewhere wrong, because all of a sudden, the lights went out. I'm not very good at all things home-improving I'm afraid. I usually break something."

"Mom can screw really good," Paulie informed him, nodding earnestly.

Bella felt herself blush from the roots of her hair to the tips of her toes. Edward tried to hide a chuckle, his eyes dancing mischievously.

"Okay," Bella said, "the flashlight. Will you wait a second while I get it?" She darted off into the kitchen, opening a couple of drawers before she found the object in question.

When she returned, Lucy was no longer in her dad's arms, but conversing animatedly with Paulie, who appeared to be boasting about the fact that she had two bunnies.

"I have a dog," the other girl said, never letting go of her dad's hand.

She must be about the same age as Paulie. They were almost the same size, Bella noticed.

"She has a dog, Mommy," Paulie said reverently, her dark eyes wide with longing.

"He's two," Lucy said. "He's a… What is he again, Daddy?"

"A mongrel," smiled her dad. He looked from Lucy to Paulie. "We don't know what breeds his parents were, but I guess there's a terrier inside."

Paulie's eyes had become so huge that it was impossible to overlook.

"Do you want to come upstairs and see him?"

"Can I, Mommy?"

"We mustn't impose on Edward and Lucy, darling. They've had a long day, and –"

"Yeah, come," Lucy offered.

"It's no problem, really," Edward said. "And besides, you're saving my ass… uh, my life with that flashlight. So, if I can actually manage to turn the power back on, you can take a look at Fred." He scratched his neck, as if unsure of himself, looking at Bella.

"Okay," she said, grabbing Paulie's hand. "Come on, pumpkin."

With the help of Bella's flashlight, Edward quickly located the blown fuse and switched the power back on, light returning to his place. Bella took a look around. It was obvious that they had just moved in; there were boxes and furniture absolutely everywhere.

Bella hadn't agreed to come upstairs for any ulterior motives, since she believed that Edward was probably married to Lucy's mother, and even if he wasn't, a man with his looks would never be interested in her. She was doing it for her daughter, who wanted to see the dog, and who was in the process of making a new friend.

"Wow," Edward exhaled. "Thank you so much."

"No problem," Bella shrugged.

The girls had already taken off, and Bella could hear their excited voices from across the

hallway.

"Do you want to see Fred too?" Edward smirked.

"Oh please," Bella replied. "Paulie's been begging for a dog for ages, but I keep telling her that dogs are not happy if they have to be home alone the best part of the day."

"Yeah, I guess I'm really lucky in that respect, because I work from home."

"Oh," Bella said, trying not to sound too curious as she followed Edward through the hallway.

"What do you do?"

"I'm a composer," he replied.

"Wow, that's… impressive."

"Ah, no, it isn't really." He raked a hand through his hair, stopping in front of what must be Lucy's room. It was almost fully furnished and decorated, a little girl's paradise with a big princess bed, white shelves with toys and pink curtains. The girls were on the floor, patting a cute black dog whose hair seemed to have as much of an own mind as his owners'.

"I compose for television," Edward explained. "TV series mostly."

"That's exciting," Bella smiled. "Anything I might know?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess so…" Edward scratched the back of his neck as if embarrassed. "_Doctor's Law_, and _Dancer's Diary_?"

He said it as a question, though there couldn't be any doubt that Bella had heard about these shows, which were two of the most successful ones in the USA.

"Wow," Bella said again. "That's incredible."

Edward shrugged one shoulder, seeming uncomfortable about the subject.

There was a small silence during which they watched their daughters, who were coaxing Fred to stand on his hind legs.

"I don't think you'll be able to part that trio soon," Edward said softly, and the tone of his velvety voice did something strange to Bella's insides. "Would you like a cup of coffee?"

**=oooooOooooo=**

**A/N:**

**Thank you to my wonderful beta dellaterra.**

**Any remaining mistakes are mine.**

**I do not own Twilight.**

**Please make me happy and leave a review…**


	3. Chapter 3

**=oooOooo=**

**THREE**

Edward's apartment was about twice the size of Bella and Paulie's, with a large living room that led into a very modern, open kitchen with marble counters and a brand-new gas stove. Edward prepared a glass carafe with coffee and set the water kettle on the stove.

"This kitchen is incredible," Bella said. "Did you design it yourself?"

She realized that it might come across like she was trying to find out whether or not there was a Mrs. Cullen, and she didn't want to give him the impression of being a desperate single mom eager to hook up with her new neighbor, who just happened to look like a model.

"My mom helped," Edward smiled, arranging sugar cookies on a plate. "She's an interior designer, so that came in handy." The kettle was boiling and Edward started to pour water into the carafe. "My parents live in Seattle, which is the main reason Lucy and I came back. Well, _I_ came back," he corrected himself, running a hand through his hair. "Lucy has only been here for visits."

"Where did you live before now?" asked Bella.

"Chicago." Edward slowly pressed down the filter of the coffee carafe. He poured her a mug. "Do you take milk or sugar?"

"Both, please."

They sat down at the counter, which divided the kitchen from the living room. Like the hallway, it was filled with boxes and pieces of furniture, the only things that had been properly set up were the large sofa and a coffee table, as well as a number of lamps. French doors led out to a balcony, and even though it was dark outside, they could see that it had started snowing again.

"Lucy made those with her grandma," Edward said as he offered her the plate with cookies. "She stayed with my parents overnight since it wouldn't have made much sense to have her over here when the movers arrived with our furniture. As I said, the fact that my parents live here, as well as my sister, was one of the main reasons to come back. It can be difficult as a single parent."

"You're telling me," Bella replied with a small smile, taking a heart-shaped cookie with pink frosting.

She would never have admitted it to herself, but she was pleased to learn that there seemed to be no Mrs. Cullen.

Not that it made any difference, of course.

"So, you're raising Paulie by yourself too?" Edward inquired.

Bella could only nod her head as she was chewing her cookie.

"Yes," she said after a moment, having washed down the crumbs with a sip of delicious coffee. "And I know what you're talking about. If I didn't have my dad and my friends, I don't know how I'd cope."

"What about Paulie's father?" Edward asked, scratching his neck. "I'm sorry, that was… It's really none of my business."

"It's okay," Bella shrugged. "It's just the two of us, and always has been that way. Paulie's father left before she was born. He has seen her a few times, but it's pretty clear that there will never be any real relationship between them. He pays child support, and I send him photos every now and then."

"That's… hard," Edward said, his green eyes warm and compassionate.

"It might seem like it, but, you see, it's always been this way. My best friend, Jasper is pretty good as a substitute father. And Paulie is happy, which is the most important thing."

"You're right," Edward smiled. He cocked his head slightly to one side as he considered his new neighbor, and he couldn't help the tingle in his stomach. Bella was attractive, with long dark hair and enormous brown eyes. Her figure was curvy - that much he could see despite the yoga pants and rather baggy sweater she was wearing. It was only at a second glance that her beauty became obvious. Her pale face was heart-shaped and had a fine, almost delicate structure. There were freckles on her small nose, and her cheeks were rosy without the assistance of rouge. But it was the eyes that drew him in. They were deep and warm-hearted and a little sad.

Her voice yanked him out of his reverie.

"What about you and Lucy's mom?"

"We were divorced in October," Edward said. "There was never any question as to who Lucy was going to live with." His long fingers wrapped around his mug. He was going to say something else when Fred came in, barking excitedly, followed by the two girls.

"Daddy," Lucy started to climb into his lap and he helped her up. "Can I go over and see Paulie's bunnies?"

Smiling, Edward kissed his daughter's head as he wrapped his arms around her. The love between them was obvious, and it touched Bella's heart. Paulie was leaning into her and Bella could tell that her daughter was dog-tired by the way her little body sagged against her side.

"Of course you can, Lucy," Bella said. "But right now, I think it's time for bed, huh?" She had to smile as Lucy let out a big yawn at precisely that moment.

"I think Bella is right," Edward chuckled.

"I'm not tired, Daddy," she protested sleepily.

"You can see the bunnies some other time, okay, honey?" Edward kissed her cheek.

"Whenever Bella and Paulie have time…"

"Tomorrow?"

"Oh yes, Mommy. Tomorrow," Paulie nodded sleepily.

Edward raised one eyebrow, inclining his head to one side in an open question.

"That's fine with me," Bella said. "Maybe you'd like to come over in the afternoon? My dad will be there for lunch, but other than that, we don't have any plans."

"Good," Edward said. The smile on his face was breathtakingly beautiful, as if he were looking forward to seeing Nessie and Messie just as much as Lucy was.

They said their good-byes then, Edward walking them to the door.

Bella hadn't noticed it when she came in, but there was a sprig of mistletoe above it. Edward saw her staring at it and rolled his eyes. He had Lucy on his hip once more, her head heavy on his shoulder.

"Oh that. Yeah, that's my little sister. She didn't do any of the heavy lifting, but she took care of the really important stuff."

"I see," Bella smiled. "She has something in common there with my friend Jasper."

They smiled at each other a little longer, almost getting lost in the moment.

"Okay, then… We'll be over at four tomorrow?" Edward finally managed to utter.

"Okay."

Bella's arm was around her daughter as they looked at each other.

"Okay."

"It was…" Edward needed to swallow, and Bella noticed how his Adam's apple bobbed up and down as he did. "It was really good to meet you, Bella. And Paulie."

"Mom…" Paulie was tugging at her mother's sleeve.

"See you tomorrow, Edward… and Lucy…"

"See you, Bella. Good night."

"Good night…"

"Sleep well."

"You too…"

Bella didn't sleep for a long time that night. She watched some television after she'd tucked Paulie into bed, and had another glass of wine. She kept replaying the whole encounter over and over in her head. She took a hot shower, and then a cold one. Once she was in bed, she tossed and turned, the memory of those green eyes making her heart pound.

Finally, when the alarm clock read 2:53, she decided to stop making a fool out of herself over a ridiculously beautiful man who happened to be her new neighbor and whose daughter was Paulie's age. She forced herself to look at the picture realistically, to look at _herself_ realistically. He was out of her league, and the fact that he'd shared a cup of coffee and some cookies with her was due only to pure and simple politeness. Anyone would have done that.

Those thoughts made the butterflies in her stomach stop, and her heart sink a little.

She fell asleep the same Bella she'd always been, the Bella she knew, not the woman who had been made to feel beautiful and cherished only hours ago.

**=oooOooo=**

**A/N:**

**Thank you for all the sweet reviews!**

**I do not own Twilight.**

**The chapter was beta'ed by the wonderful dellaterra.**

**Any remaining mistakes are mine.**


	4. Chapter 4

**=oooOooo=**

**FOUR**

Lunch with her dad the next day was a relaxed affair. Charlie Swan was a quiet man who loved his daughter and granddaughter more than anything in the world. He was a retired police officer who led a comfortable life, giving occasional lectures at the police academy, going fishing with his buddies and taking care of Paulie whenever Bella needed him to. He had never remarried after the divorce from Bella's mother, who was now living in Phoenix with her new husband.

They talked easily, and Charlie played a few games of Parcheesi with Paulie, letting her win the majority of them. He inquired after Jasper, who felt almost like a son to Charlie. After that loser James had left his daughter pregnant and alone, it was Jasper who had stepped in. Charlie would have loved to see them get together, but had come to accept that it would never be. He told Bella about his friend Sue, with whom he went to the movies every Saturday night, and played bingo on Thursdays. Bella thought that Sue was much more than Charlie's bingo partner, but she never revealed her suspicions to her dad. He seemed happy, and that was the only thing that mattered to Bella.

Charlie left around three, and while Bella prepared some batter to make Belgian waffles, she felt a slow excitement spread through her entire body. She had put on a dark blue blouse and jeans, and she'd taken extra care with her hair, curling it slightly. She looked okay, she thought. Nice, even. Not that it mattered.

Soon enough, the doorbell rang and Paulie dashed to open it, her mother following at a more respectable pace, though Bella would have loved to run as well. Edward stood in front of them, Lucy's hand in his, looking even more delectable than she remembered him. He was wearing a pale blue button-down and jeans that were low on his hips. His hair was almost as messy as yesterday, his eyes shining brightly. Lucy looked cute in a little red dress with yellow stars.

"Hi," he greeted her with that smile… That smile…

"Hey, you two! Good to see you! Come in."

Edward and Lucy entered their home, and Lucy held out a lovely little bouquet of red gerberas, pine sprigs, candy canes and little Santa hats for Paulie. It was adorable.

"We got this for you," she said a bit shyly.

Paulie's eyes became huge at the sight of such a grown-up present as she took it from Lucy's small hands.

Bella looked at her daughter expectantly, slightly raising her eyebrows.

"Thank you!" Paulie beamed.

"Thanks," mouthed Bella to Edward. "But that wasn't necess-"

She stopped dead in her tracks when Edward produced a second bouquet from behind his back. It was similar to Paulie's, except that rum truffles and Christmas tree ornaments had replaced the candy canes and Santa hats.

"Oh my God," Bella gasped. "You two are crazy, do you know that?"

"Did you hear that, Lucy?"

Edward's grin was infectious, and his daughter smiled back, displaying a gap between her front teeth, where one of her baby teeth had fallen out.

The next hours passed so quickly that it seemed like mere minutes for both of them. In between their interactions with the children, Bella and Edward's conversation covered every possible topic from food to movies, childhood accidents, and their daughters' favorite ice-cream flavors.

There was a lot of delighted squealing from Lucy when Paulie showed her the bunnies. Edward needed to explain to her that Fred would not be good company for the two furry pets, and Lucy begged him to allow her to bring the dog downstairs so she could prove him wrong.

After the two girls had put the pets back in the home-made cage that Charlie had bult, Bella checked that the roof was secured, while Edward and Lucy went upstairs to collect Fred.

He sniffed the cage for a minute, but quickly lost interest when Lucy coaxed him away with a dog biscuit. While the girls played with the little button-eyed animal, Bella and Edward retreated to her kitchen, which was a far cry from Edward's state of the art showpiece. To her surprise, Edward complimented her on the warmth and coziness of her home, remarking on every little gold paper star that Paulie had made, noticing Bella's extensive collection of books and admiring the tons of photos on the mantelpiece, most of them showing Paulie during different stages of her life.

Again, they had coffee, made from a standard machine, and worked together to prepare the Belgian waffles. The first one, which Edward made, was pale and mushy and he pretended to be heartbroken when Bella giggled.

"It's not about the looks; it's about the taste," he snorted. "Don't you tell that to Paulie when she won't eat a squishy banana?"

"I do," Bella laughed, "but I'm not sure that this even deserves the term _waffle_..."

They discovered that they shared a sense of humor, laughing and giggling about the simplest things while they and the girls ate the waffles with whipped cream.

Bella and Edward stayed in the living room and talked while the girls were having a great time with Fred, who was a sweet-tempered dog, not even protesting when he was adorned with a Santa hat.

"We got him from a shelter," Edward explained. "He was just a tiny puppy, the last of his brood. He was sickly and no one wanted him because of his limp."

"His limp?"

"It's hardly noticeable, but yeah, that's what kept people from taking him in."

Edward smiled, a smile that Bella had already come to know and adore, which did something to her insides, making them as mushy as the waffle Edward had produced.

Fred had fallen asleep on the rug and the girls were playing in Paulie's room, the occasional laughter that could be heard assuring their parents that all was well. Every now and then, one or both of them would burst into the living room, where Edward and Bella were sitting on the couch, talking, laughing, blossoming in each other's company.

When it was time for dinner, Bella invited her two guests to stay over, and both Edward and Lucy gladly accepted. They had spaghetti and meatballs with a green salad, and the grown-ups shared one or two glasses of red wine. It felt natural, and all four of them were happier than they had been for a long time.

Once again, the little party broke up only when it was bedtime for the girls. Edward and Bella said their good-byes under the mistletoe, and the many things that were left unspoken later caused both of them another sleepless night.

**=oooOooo=**

**A/N: Thank you, as always, to my brilliant beta dellaterra. I don't want to ever work without you again.**

**Any remaining mistakes or errors are mine.**

**I do not own Twilight.**

**Please, please leave a review if you liked it. It only takes a second and means so much to me!**

**Thank you,**

**harperpitt**


	5. Chapter 5

**=oooOooo=**

**FIVE**

The next days were much the same as usual. Bella went to work and Paulie to kindergarten. There were phone calls with Jasper, who was excited to hear about the new neighbor, sensing that Bella was somewhat intrigued. She had not told him that Edward was insanely good-looking, so Jasper expected someone a little nerdy in a sweater vest and thick glasses – it was clear to him that someone with that name had to be geeky.

Paulie was eager to see Lucy and Fred again and even though Bella felt just as impatient, she told her daughter that she had to wait because, after all, Edward and Lucy had only just moved in and had a lot to work on in their apartment. Edward had told her that Lucy would not enroll into kindergarten until the new year, and that she'd be spending quite a bit of time over at his parents' house, since he had to finish a job in addition to all the things that came with moving from one state to another.

It wasn't until Thursday night that Bella heard from him again. She had just put Paulie to bed and was preparing to do some knitting. Paulie's favorite teddy bear wanted a new playsuit for Christmas, and who was Bella to deny him? She expected it to be Jasper when she answered her phone, and she was pleasantly surprised to hear a deep, velvety voice.

"Bella? This is Edward. I'm sorry to be calling so late, but Lucy just went to bed…"

"It's okay," Bella assured him, trying to sound casual despite the fact that her heart was racing madly. "So did Paulie."

"How've you been doing? I'm sorry, I meant to call earlier, but my agent was harassing me about a piece I needed to finish." He was so apologetic that it touched Bella. She imagined him, sitting on his large sofa, messing with his hair. He would be almost directly above her, since their apartments had the same floor plan, only his continued where hers ended with her bedroom. For a moment, she thought how silly this was, talking on the phone when in reality, they were so close…

It didn't take long until they were engaged in a lively conversation, laughing about the silliest things and sharing viewpoints, discussing whatever subject entered their mind. It was the most rewarding, challenging and amusing talk both of them had had in… well, almost a week.

Despite their different backgrounds, they had a lot in common, which went above and beyond the fact that both of them were single parents to five-year-old girls. Bella was fascinated by the things that Edward told her about his job. He had studied music at Juilliard, and started to make a living with his music while he was still in college, writing for commercials and playing the piano at small clubs. After his breakthrough, he'd lived in L.A. for a few years, where he had signed a contract with a big studio.

"It almost killed me," he said. "I got my monthly paycheck, but I had nothing to work on for long periods of time, yet I couldn't leave, because they might have needed me at any time. It was hell. It was the first - and only - time, I ever tried cocaine, not that I can recommend it, but that's L.A. It's a dangerous place if you hook up with the wrong people. Luckily, I got out of there soon after I realized that."

"What made you leave?" Bella asked. She had been listening intently, sitting with her legs tucked underneath her body, the knitting long forgotten.

"My little sister Alice came to visit me, and told me that I needed to pull my head out of my ass." Edward was silent for a moment. "You should meet her, by the way. I think you two would get along great. She adores Lucy…"

"I'd love to," Bella said softly, both flattered and excited that he thought her interesting enough to meet someone from his family.

"God," Edward chuckled. "Aren't we idiotic? Do you realize that we have been on the phone for more than two hours? And I live right above you."

Bella smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. She thought that sometimes, talking over the phone could be much easier than sharing your secrets face to face with someone. She would have loved to talk to Edward, to be close to him, but it would be pointless. She would adore him silently and he would be so beautiful and perfect and –

"So what do you say?" Edward asked.

"To what?"

"Meeting my little sister? We're going ice-skating on Saturday at the Seattle Center Winterfest. Would you and Paulie like to come along?"

And so it happened that two little and two big girls and one very big boy slid across the smooth-as-glass surface two days later, giggling, squealing, and holding on to each other. Bella and Alice hit it off the second they met, Alice's high-spirited bubbly personality a total contrast to Bella's quiet, down-to-earth nature. The little girls were having a ball, distracting the adults from any lingering awkwardness.

It was clear to Alice that her brother had grown more than a little attached to his neighbor. The way he held her whenever she was wobbly on her legs - hell, the way he _looked_ at her - spoke volumes. Alice knew her brother well, and she had witnessed the endless breakdown of his marriage. His divorce had finalized only two months prior, but his marriage had been over years before that. If she hadn't she been wearing ice-skating shoes, Alice would have bounced up and down at seeing her brother this happy and relaxed.

Afterward when everyone was exhausted, they went to have hot chocolate and Alice casually mentioned that she was hosting a little brunch the next day, to which Edward and Lucy would also be coming.

"Please say you'll join us, Bella," she said, her spiky hair bobbing up and down as she bounced, now that she could.

Bella, who was a bit distracted because she was watching Paulie and Lucy as they played hide and seek all _over_ the place, shrugged apologetically, never noticing how Edward's face fell when she spoke.

"I'm sorry, Alice, but we already have a breakfast date with my best friend…"

"Bring her along!" Alice enthused.

"Him," Bella clarified. He's Paulie's godfather." She noticed the slight frown on Edward's face. "We grew up together."

"Okay, bring _him_ along then," Alice said. "Please, Bella. Humor me?"

"I… I don't know," Bella said. "I don't want to impose…"

"But you're not imposing –" Edward started, stopping himself immediately.

"Edward is right," Alice said. "Please come!"

"Um… I'll have to ask Jasper…"

Jasper, of course, agreed immediately since he was extremely curious to meet the mystery man Bella was talking about all the time. Well, so was Paulie, but she was more enamored with mystery man's daughter and dog. Bella gave him Alice's address, Jasper said he'd bring croissants and some of Momma Whitlock's homemade peach jam, and Bella spent another sleepless night, because it was highly important to her that Jasper liked Edward, and that Edward liked Jasper – another thing she'd never admit to herself.

Sunday dawned with bright sunshine and fresh snow, and Bella's stomach was jittery from the moment she was woken by her daughter, who came crawling into her bed shortly after eight, all warm and sleepy.

"Hey sweetie pie," Bella whispered. "Did you sleep well?"

"I dreamed that we went to the circus, and Lucy and Edward were there too, and we had cotton candy…"

"Mmm," Bella murmured. "Yummy."

"I like Lucy and Edward," Paulie said softly, snuggling closer into her mom's arms.

"I like them too," Bella replied as she kissed Paulie's hair. "Very much."

Two and a half hours later, a knock resounded on their door, alerting them to the fact that their neighbors were ready to go. Edward had offered to take them in his car, stating that it would be idiotic to take two cars when they had the same starting point and destination. The four of them made the trip to the parking garage, where Edward unlocked the doors of a silver Volvo, and the girls were strapped into the back, where they spent the whole trip playing I Spy, sometimes including Bella and Edward. Luckily, the roads had been cleared, and Edward maneuvered them safely through traffic, so that at eleven sharp, they stopped in front of an elegant old brownstone.

"Here we are, ladies," Edward said, and everyone gathered their belongings. Bella had made peanut butter cinnamon rolls, and she tried not to slip on the icy street as she carried the container as well as a bag with books she had promised to lend to Alice. Edward's arm wrapped around hers to provide her stability, and he didn't let go of her for a minute even after they had entered the building. Bella couldn't help but enjoy his chivalrous attention.

Alice greeted them with the same exuberance she had shown the previous day, helping the kids shed their coats and mittens and boots, asking everyone to follow her into the living room. Six other guests were already there, and Alice introduced everyone to Bella and her daughter. Charlotte and Peter were colleagues from the arts center where Alice taught painting, Mike and Eric owned the delicatessen next door, and Gianna was an old friend from college. With her was her son Felix, who was only a year younger than Paulie and Lucy. Once everyone was seated and provided with coffee or hot chocolate, the doorbell rang again. This time it was Jasper, and Bella swiftly got up to join her hostess and her best friend to make introductions.

When she entered the hallway, Jasper had just shut the door behind himself, and Bella found that no introductions were necessary. He and Alice were staring at each other, smiling, saying, "You must be Jasper," and "You must be Alice…" as if some kind of revelation was taking place between them.

Alice's brunch was a smashing success. Everybody had a great time, the food was lovely, and conversation flowed easily. The kids played among themselves and later watched a movie. Bella enjoyed herself, chatting and laughing all afternoon, indulging in a glass of punch as she watched her best friend fall hook, line and sinker for the little pixie spirit that was Edward's sister. Jasper and Alice couldn't keep their eyes off each other, and it seemed that two souls had truly found each other.

Jasper was so enamored that he hardly noticed that Bella's new neighbor, despite his old-fashioned name, neither wore a sweater vest nor glasses.

It was late in the afternoon, and some of the guests had already left. Paulie and Lucy were quiet in front of the TV, glued to the adventures of Mary Poppins. Jasper and Alice continued to make googly eyes at each other, and Charlotte and Peter were discussing what to give her parents for Christmas. Bella felt Edward's eyes upon her.

"What?" she smiled a bit self-consciously.

"Nothing," Edward replied, his voice so low only she could hear. "You look very lovely, do you know that?"

"Um… Thanks." Bella blushed a little, unaccustomed to receiving compliments.

"You are," he affirmed. "You're so… alive."

"Thank you," she whispered, dropping her eyes.

An hour later, they said their good-byes to Alice, and to Jasper, who didn't seem to have the intention of leaving anytime soon. The drive home was quiet, the grown-ups lost in their own thoughts, and the girls a bit drowsy. When they reached their building, Paulie was fast asleep, and Edward carried her upstairs, which caused a bittersweet pang to Bella's heart.

"Where to?" he asked softly once Bella had unlocked the door to her apartment.

"Her room is at the end of the hall," she whispered, absentmindedly stroking over Lucy's head.

She followed him so she could open the door for him, but Edward, having longer legs, was already pushing the door open with his foot. Only it wasn't Paulie's room, but Bella's bedroom, her most private place with that enormous bed and the romantic white lamps.

Edward swallowed, worrying that he had trespassed.

"I'm so sorry," he mumbled, embarrassed.

"No problem," Bella said, letting him into the room opposite hers, where Edward gently put the little girl down on her bed before he took Lucy's hand.

"Okay, we'll be going upstairs then," he murmured. Bella could see that he was flustered, even though she didn't quite understand why.

"I had a great time," Edward said when they had reached the door.

"Bye, Bella." Lucy smiled and showed her tooth gap.

"I had a great time too," Bella answered softly.

"I'll call you?"

"Okay."

There was a small, awkward moment as both of them wondered whether a kiss on the cheek was in order, but Lucy broke the tension by pulling her dad with her, claiming that she was hungry. The last thing Bella heard when they walked upstairs was Edward promising Lucy to make fish sticks.

Bella returned to her daughter, undressing her slowly and putting her into her Hello Kitty pajamas. Paulie woke briefly, muttering something unintelligible, and fell back asleep promptly once Bella had kissed her goodnight, tucked her in and switched off the lights, leaving the door ajar.

She felt strangely restless, and looked around for something to do. She cleaned the bunnies' cage, sorted though a big pile of laundry and started ironing while watching the last thirty minutes of _It's a Wonderful Life. _She made herself a tuna sandwich, reading the weekend edition of the _Times_ while she ate. She felt empty, the evening a drab anticlimax to the events of the day.

She cleaned her plate and left the kitchen, walking into her bedroom. She undressed and avoided to look in the mirror once she was naked. She didn't like to be reminded of the fact that her body wasn't the same as it once had been. She hated the sight of the scar that had been left by her c-section five years ago. And her breasts… She had always been proud of her breasts, they were on the large side but firm… well, had been firm. Now, they were still on the large side, but no longer that firm.

Bella slipped into her pajamas, a comfy cotton set with blue and white stripes. She wrapped her favorite shawl around her shoulders and returned to the living room for some goodnight TV. It was just before ten, and Bella surfed through the channels to find something entertaining that might make her feel less… hollow.

TCM was showing _A History of Violence_, and Bella, having made herself comfortable on the couch, was more than ready to lose herself in the drama and blood of the story, when she was startled by a sound. At first, she thought it was something in the movie, but the brutality hadn't started yet. She frowned, turning into the direction of Paulie's room, always her first instinct, but all was quiet. The sound returned, but more distinct this time. Someone was knocking at her door.

Bella's heart broke into a race, because she knew that it could only be one person.

**=oooOooo=**

**A/N:**

**Hello my dearest readers, thank you so much for all the lovely reviews and the support my little story has been getting. Unfortunately I cannot guarantee you that I'll be able to post the next few days. The holidays have me in their grip and it's impossible to find a quiet moment. I'm trying my best, but there might be a little posting break. I'm sorry…**

**Thank you to my wonderful beta dellaterra. No idea what I'd do without you.**

**Any remaining errors and mistakes are mine.**

**I do not own Twilight.**

**Have a wonderful Christmas everyone!**

**xoxo**

**harperpitt**


	6. Chapter 6

**=oooOooo=**

**SIX**

Bella practically tiptoed to the door, wrapping her woolen shawl closer around her shoulders. The knock resounded once more, soft but definite.

"Bella?"

Edward's muffled voice sounded anxious.

"Yes?" Bella was surprised by how high-pitched her voice came out. "Yes?" she repeated, trying to sound more nonchalant this time.

"It's me…" he laughed nervously. "Well, obviously. Could… could you open the door?"

"Um, yes. Sure."

Bella unlocked the door, looking at a wild-haired Edward. It seemed that he had done nothing else but pull at his hair for the past hours. Which was partly true. He had also paced his music room and brooded about what to do.

"Hey," Edward said, smiling crookedly. "Sorry to disturb you. You're obviously ready for bed…" He gestured at her pajamas, ending the movement by scratching the back of his neck.

"No, um, I was watching TV…" Bella bit her lip, wondering what he might want at this time of night. "What can I do for you, Edward?" She wrapped her shawl a little tighter around herself, suddenly very aware of the fact that she was naked under her pajamas.

"I... I'm sorry about, you know, bursting into your bedroom earlier… That was rude."

"It's okay," Bella said. "You didn't know it was my bedroom, and it's not like I was hiding any skeletons in there."

Edward laughed nervously. "I didn't think you were."

"So what's the big deal?"

"I like you, Bella," Edward blurted out. He would not ever admit to her that he had felt like an intruder because he had been imagining Bella in that bed of hers for days, had imagined her naked, touching herself. Or, better yet, touching him…

"Um, I like you too, Edward," she said, surprised.

"And um, earlier, was not the way I wanted to say good night." His voice had dropped to a low rasp as he took a step forward, reaching out for her hand.

His hand felt large and warm around hers, and Bella almost shuddered at the contact of their skin.

"How… What should it have been like?" She was acutely aware of his proximity, his body so close to hers that she could feel the strange electricity between them. Edward's green eyes were fixed on hers, filled with longing. Bella's heart was beating so fast that it was resounding in her ears, and her knees were rubbery.

"Like this," Edward whispered before he lowered his head and gently, soft and feather-like, touched her lips with his. It was almost chaste, and so very tender that Bella practically melted inside. It lasted a few glorious moments, and then Edward drew back, looking at her, their faces still so close that their noses almost touched.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled, and Bella could feel his sweet breath wash over her face. "I… I thought that you…"

He swallowed and straightened up, trying not to show how embarrassed and devastated he felt.

Therefore, he was all the more surprised when Bella unexpectedly threw her arms around him, her fingers meeting in the hair at the back of his neck.

"No," she whispered. "No…" With that, she pulled his face to hers. "Don't stop…"

Their lips met again, but this time it was not so chaste. Edward's mouth moved sweetly against hers, nibbling and pulling, conveying every bit of tenderness he felt toward this incredible woman. They didn't care, didn't even realize that they were still standing inside Bella's open door, nor did it matter.

Edward's arms wrapped around Bella's waist, pulling her impossibly close as their kiss continued, their tiny sighs the only sound besides the one of their beating hearts. When Edward's tongue tentatively ran over her lower lip, a sensation that went straight to Bella's groin, she responded, slightly opening her mouth so he could explore her warmth and softness. It was still very tender and rather careful, but laced with hunger and the delightful prospect of more to come.

It had been forever since a man had kissed Bella like this. It was passionate yet reverential, and oh so very sweet. His hands never strayed from where they were around her waist, though Edward had to make a concentrated effort to not let them roam to Bella's seductive behind or her delectable breasts – those breasts that he had spent hours fantasizing about.

When they came up for air, both were breathing heavily, delirious smiles on their faces.

"This," Edward whispered against Bella's lips, "is what it should have been like."

"I see," she sighed. "Very different indeed."

"Mmm…" He nipped at her lips once more, thinking that he never wanted to do anything else again other than to taste her, feel her, breathe her in. When they parted, he took her face in both of his hands. "I need to get back upstairs. I'm afraid that Lucy might wake up and panic." His tone was just as intense as his expression. "But I want to continue this, Bella. I want to know you. I want to spend time with you. And Paulie. Is… is that okay?"

"Yes," Bella whispered, still completely overwhelmed by what had just taken place. "Yes, that's okay. More than okay."

The smile that spread over Edward's face had at least one hundred watts. He kissed Bella again, trying to make it short, but his lips just couldn't get enough of her. Everything about her was enticing to him, and he would have loved nothing more than to snatch her and carry her upstairs. It would have been too soon and Edward was painfully aware of that fact, so he drew back once more, putting one last, longing kiss on her swollen lips.

"Good night, Bella. I'll give you a call after work, okay?"

"Okay." Bella nodded, the smile still on her face.

"Bye..." One final kiss, and he was gone.

Bella glanced up at the mistletoe above her head before shutting the door. She leaned against the wall, closing her eyes and sinking down on wobbly legs until she was sitting on the floor. She couldn't help smiling, her heart only now beginning to calm down.

She didn't even realize how long she sat there on the cool floor, completely lost in her bliss. It wasn't until her phone beeped from the living room that she got up, her legs cold and cramped from sitting on the floor for so long. She retrieved her phone and put out the lights in the living room, snuggling into her bed after she'd brushed her teeth. It was past midnight, and she yawned, turning to switch off the bedside lamp when she remembered that she had received a message.

_Bella, _it read,_ Is it tomorrow yet? I cannot wait to see you again. You have enchanted me. E_

Bella's heart felt so full she thought it would burst, and she buried her face in the pillows as she squealed.

**=oooOooo=**

**A/N:**

**Thank you for reading!**

**And thank you to dellaterra for beta'ing!**

**I do not own Twilight.**

**Leave me some love in the form of a review?**


	7. Chapter 7

**=oooOooo=**

**SEVEN**

When Bella woke in the morning, the next message was already waiting to be read.

_Good morning, beautiful girls. Have a wonderful day! E&L_

Bella's heart made a happy little jump and she giggled happily as she typed in her reply.

_**Good morning to you! Did you sleep well? B**_

_You might say I was a bit restless. I couldn't stop thinking of that gorgeous woman I kissed last night… E_

_**You make me swoon, Mr. Cullen. What are you plans for tonight? Would you two like to come over for dinner? B**_

_Yes, yes, yes. E&L_

'_**kay, see you at six? Gotta go now… B**_

After that exchange, they were excited once more, both of them practically floating through their respective days.

For Edward, it had been a very long time that he'd felt that way about a woman. In the beginning, he and Tanya had been a dream couple. It had lasted about three years until he grasped that their relationship was based on precisely that notion: the outward image of being a perfect match. By that time, Lucy was on the way. She had not been planned, and there had been long and painful discussions between Edward and his wife, who was leaning towards an abortion. In the end, she had agreed to have the baby, but she had never grown into the role of a mother. It had been Edward who got up at night to feed and diaper Lucy, Edward who went to the playground with her, and Edward who read her bedtime stories. Tanya, a successful architect, was too busy to develop any motherly feelings.

When the end came, it wasn't a surprise to anybody, least of all Edward and Tanya. They separated peacefully and Tanya moved into a nearby apartment building so she could see Lucy frequently. Only she didn't, and after eighteen months of fruitless fights and frazzled nerves, they had agreed on a divorce.

Edward, who had had his fair share of sexual adventures during the time he spent in Los Angeles, never had any desire to meet women after that. His daughter's well-being was his absolute priority, and his job provided him with enough distractions to not vanish into the world of Winnie the Pooh, PB&J sandwiches and appointments with the pediatrician. There had been women - it wasn't like he had sworn himself to abstinence - but those few encounters had happened when he was traveling for work, and he could count them on one hand.

Bella was different from any other woman he'd ever met. She was unpretentious, modest, and warm. She was precious. Edward wanted to know everything about her. Above all, he wanted to kiss her again. And again.

Bella was just as elated as she went about her work, standing behind the reception desk and answering the phone, typing reservations into the computer and welcoming guests to L'Auberge Huilen. She couldn't stop thinking about Edward, and her stomach became ever more jittery the closer it got to six p.m.

She and Paulie went shopping for groceries on their way back home from kindergarten, choosing vegetables and cheese, and the ingredients for Paulie's favorite dessert, coconut pudding. Paulie helped as Bella worked in the kitchen, handing her pans and pouring out milk and sugar. Once the pudding was ready, they prepared the mushroom lasagna, which was Bella's _pièce de résistance_. They chatted while they worked side by side, Paulie telling Bella everything about her day and wondering what she would get for Christmas.

When six o'clock came around, the table was set and Bella's cheeks were warm with anticipation. Edward and Lucy were punctual, and Bella's heart did a little dance when she saw Edward, looking way more sexy than a single dad of thirty-eight had any right to look. He was in low-riding jeans again, this time with a v-necked grey sweater, a bit of bronze chest hair titillating Bella's imagination once more.

His smile was even more beautiful than she remembered, all crooked and sweet. Without further ado, he kissed her cheek, causing Bella's heart to stumble. There was no room for any awkwardness though, because the girls began to chatter the second the door closed. Paulie was eager to have Lucy help her to decorate the dessert, and she pulled her friend into the kitchen.

"Hey, you." Edward's voice sounded low and seductive as he nuzzled Bella's nose with his.

"Hey…" Her breath caught.

"This was the longest day ever…"

"Was it? What did you do?"

"Wait for now." His lips melted into hers, and even though both of them knew that it would be short-lived, they allowed their feelings to take over, if only for a few moments. It was literally breathtaking, and when they drew apart, staring at each other, it was as if they were on their very own planet.

"I can't stop," Edward whispered against Bella's lips. "I think it's that damned mistletoe…"

"Yeah," she replied. "It's been known to mess with your brains… and your hormones…"

Edward laughed softly, pecking her luscious lips one last time.

"Okay," he murmured, "let's see what those little monkeys are up to."

In the kitchen, Paulie and Lucy had only just begun to make a royal mess, having opened various bags of raisins and chocolate chips, and a tube of Smarties. They were placing them meticulously on the pudding, the pattern they were trying to achieve visible only to themselves.

While Edward scolded them gently and helped them clean up, Bella took the lasagna from the oven and mixed the salad with the dressing. Once everyone was sitting down, Edward poured glasses of wine and apple juice and they toasted one another, which made the girls feel mighty grown-up, since they were drinking from wine glasses as well. Theirs were the cheap IKEA ones, but the little girls didn't know that.

The lasagna was a great success. Edward had two generous helpings, and a big plateful of the dessert before he waved a white flag in the form of his napkin, leaning back in his chair, his long legs stretched out in front of him. The girls had run off to play, making the most of every bit of extra time they could before they had to go to bed.

"Wow," Edward grinned happily. "That was delicious."

"Thank you." Bella smiled.

In the position he was in, it was hard for her not to ogle Edward's goods too blatantly, since he was displaying them quite conspicuously. Bella wondered if he was even aware of the fact and decided that he probably wasn't. Still, it made her girly parts tingle.

Bella was a devoted mother, but she was also a woman. It had been some time since she had been up close with _any _guy's goods. A single mother wasn't the hottest thing on the market, and most men lost interest once they learned that Bella was came with baggage. The last sex she'd had was two years ago, when she had been dating Liam, a coworker at the hotel. Things had been nice between them, and Liam was a lovely, decent guy. Paulie liked him too. But it had never really clicked between them, even though the sex was nice.

She was drawn back into reality when Edward sighed and sat up, leaning over until they were face to face.

"I have to get Lucy to bed soon."

"I know."

"I want to kiss you before we leave."

Bella swallowed.

"I want you to kiss me too."

The sound that left Edward's throat was akin to a groan as his lips swiftly brushed hers, and, shortly, pulled them between his.

"Daddy?"

They flinched apart just a second before Paulie and Lucy busted them.

"Yes, honey?" Edward ran one hand over his face in an effort to return to earth.

"Can we go and watch Paulie's dance recital? She's a bellarini!"

"Wow." Edward pulled his daughter into his side and kissed her cheek. "You mean a ballerina, don't you?"

"Mmm-hmm."

Paulie, who was climbing into Bella's lap, nodded vigorously.

"I told Lucy she could come. Can she, Mommy?"

"Yes, of course," Bella replied. "If it's okay with Edward."

"Absolutely," Edward agreed. "I wouldn't want to miss it!" He smiled. Everything felt so natural, not only with Bella, but also with the girls. It was a kind of comfort he hadn't experienced before.

"Cool," Paulie grinned. "Then everyone will be there." She started counting them down on her fingers. "Mom, Lucy, Edward, Jazzy, Granddad –"

"Your dad is coming?" Edward looked a bit panicked. Bella had already told him that he was a retired police officer, and that he tended to be a bit overprotective where his daughter and granddaughter were concerned.

"You'll like him," Bella smiled, knowing full well that this was not the point that had Edward worried.

They chatted for a few more minutes, until it really was bedtime for the girls, even though they were eager to deny it. Bella and Paulie accompanied their guests to the door and Edward put a soft kiss on Bella's cheek, lingering a moment longer than was appropriate, his slight scruff tickling her in the most delightful way.

Two hours later, he tapped at her door and gave her a good-night kiss that was so intense and thorough that Bella's knees went weak.

**=oooOooo=**

**A/N:**

**Thank you to everybody reviewing my little story. Your comments warm my heart!**

**I don't know if I mentioned it lately, but dellaterra is the loveliest beta ever, giving my story so much time when she's working on her own beautiful fic, **_**I Can Learn.**_** I warmly recommend it!**

**Remaining errors are mine, and I do not own Twilight.**

**I'd love to hear your thoughts…**


	8. Chapter 8

**=oooOooo=**

**EIGHT**

The following days passed in a happy blur. The four of them would have dinner together, either at his place or at hers, and when the girls went to play afterward, Bella and Edward lost themselves in each other, holding hands, whispering, kissing, getting more attached with every hour they spent together.

When the day of Paulie's recital arrived, Lucy was so excited that one might have thought that it was her own performance. She insisted on wearing her red velvet dress with her patent leather shoes. Edward put matching ribbons into her pigtails while he tried to stop Lucy from fidgeting. His daughter, who tended to be rather quiet and shy, was developing character traits that reminded him of his sister.

Edward himself was nervous too because he knew that he would meet Bella's father and some of her friends, and it was highly important to him to make a good impression. He and Bella had been spending the better part of the past two weeks together, the last five days of which had been filled with secret little touches and gestures when they were not alone, and passionate kisses when they were. Edward had made it a habit to sneak downstairs once Lucy was asleep to say good-night to Bella, even if there were few actual words involved.

The feelings he was developing were unlike any he had experienced before, and he was determined to do anything so that this fragile new connection would blossom and grow. He would be careful, and he would be patient. He knew from everything Bella had told him that her heart and ego had been bruised just as much as his own, and it made him proceed much more slowly than he might have, had she been one of the distractions he had sought earlier in his life.

So today was important, and Edward was intent on winning some brownie points with Bella's dad. He had put on a grey suit and a white shirt, forgoing a tie to make the outfit less formal. He felt a bit overdressed when they arrived at Paulie's ballet school, seeing that there were dads in reindeer sweaters and sneakers. He quickly spotted Bella and Jasper, who were talking to a man in jeans and a flannel shirt. With Lucy's hand in his, he crossed the room to meet them.

Bella's eyes lit up when she saw him, her heart fluttering excitedly. He looked incredible, and she could tell that ninety percent of the mothers present were ogling him as he walked up to her with Lucy by his side. He kissed her cheek, a fact that was also noted by every female in the room.

"Hello, Bella."

"Hey… Hi Lucy!" She bent down and greeted her, then introduced them to her father Charlie.

"Dad, this is Edward Cullen, and his daughter Lucy. Edward, Lucy, this is my dad, Charlie."

Charlie Swan looked the man up and down, nodding his head and shaking Edward's hand. Though he could seem gruff, deep down he was a softie who loved his girls to pieces. And his daughter looked happier than he had seen her in a very long time. He already knew that this Edward guy was good for her, but he maintained his façade a little longer. For his part, Edward was pleasantly surprised by Bella's father and soon relaxed, greeting Jasper and falling into easy conversation.

When they went inside the small auditorium, Bella squeezed her dad's arm to thank him. She had told him about Edward a few days ago on the phone, saying that things were new, and they hadn't defined their relationship yet, but she liked him, and so did Paulie. That was all Charlie needed to hear, and from what he could tell after meeting Edward, he was a keeper.

Paulie was one of the little elves in the ballet that was being performed, and Bella's heart swelled with love, tears pooling in her eyes, as she watched her little girl dance. A large, warm hand wrapped around hers, and a thumb stroked her wrist. They didn't look at each other, but Bella felt that Edward understood. When the small elves bowed at the end, she had to wipe her eyes.

She hugged Paulie tightly once she came from the changing rooms, her cheeks rosy from the excitement of her success.

"You were brilliant, sweetie pie!" She kissed her daughter. "I'm so proud of you."

"Did you see it when I did the jumpy thing?"

"Yes! It must have taken so long to get that right!"

"Uh-huh." Paulie's grin became even bigger. "Grandpa!"

"Well, my little munchkin, that was super!" Charlie squatted down and kissed Paulie's cheek, which made her giggle because of his mustache.

Once everyone had congratulated the star of the afternoon, they went to Paulie's favorite ice-cream parlor, where they were joined by Edward's sister, who'd had to teach a class and couldn't come earlier. She wanted to hear every last detail about the recital, sitting between Paulie and Lucy and giggling with them as if she were not a day older than the girls. Jasper's eyes were glued on her, and it was obvious that these two were infatuated with each other. They were very open about it too, and their relationship, though brand-new, seemed totally natural.

Paulie was exhausted after her exciting day, and Bella ran her a bath once they were home, chatting with her daughter as she splashed around amid the bubbles.

Edward didn't come down to steal a kiss that night, calling and explaining that Lucy was feeling sick, which he blamed on too much ice cream. Bella was surprised at the intensity with which she missed their nightly ritual, lying awake for hours, pondering and analyzing. She was falling fast for Edward, that much was clear, but she was deathly afraid that it might not be the same for him.

Could he fall for someone like her? She thought not.

She didn't hear from him the next morning, which also was unusual. Normally, there would be a good-morning message, either by phone or email. It was Saturday too, her free day, which made his silence even stranger, and when Bella called, the answering machine picked up.

"Aren't we having breakfast with Lucy and Edward?" Paulie asked as Bella filled a bowl with cereal.

"I don't think they're at home, sweetie," she replied, trying not let Paulie feel her disappointment. "Maybe Lucy was still feeling sick, and they went to see the doctor, you know?"

"Poor Lucy," sighed Paulie, who then tucked happily into her breakfast.

Bella was a little surprised by Paulie's seeming lack of concern for her friend. She was very cheerful, holding her mom's hand when they went shopping for groceries, never asking Bella to buy her candy as she normally would. The afternoon went by slowly, and Bella's heart grew heavier by the minute as she feared that Edward had lost all interest.

Around five p.m. the doorbell rang and she jumped out of her seat by the window, where she'd been knitting more of the playsuit for Paulie's teddy bear. Her daughter beat her to the front door, watching Bella expectantly as she asked through the intercom, "Who is it?"

"It's me, darlin'," resounded Jasper's voice.

"Oh. Come on up."

It was unusual for Jasper to stop by unannounced, so Bella worried that something might be wrong between him and Alice. Jasper looked happy when he greeted her, kissing her cheek and lifting Paulie into his arms as he tickled her.

"Ready to go, Miss Swan?" he asked.

"Yes, yes," giggled Paulie.

"Um, where are the two of you going, may I ask?" Bella was starting to feel slightly pissed off about how her day was going.

"This little lady," explained Jasper as he turned Paulie upside down, "is coming with me to my place for a slumber party with Miss Lucy, who is already there. With Alice," he added quickly when Bella's eyes widened.

Paulie was squealing joyfully as Jasper let her down.

"Okaaay," Bella said. "But why didn't you tell me?"

"Because it's a _surprise_, Mom!"

"What's the surprise?"

"You," Jasper grinned, "are going on a date tonight."

"I am?"

"Yes, with Edward!" Paulie was clapping her hands.

"So you planned all this?"

"Well, Edward did," Jasper explained. "I am merely his tool, ya know?"

"You're a tool alright," Bella grumbled, delighted that things seemed to be taking a turn for the better.

Jasper handed her a cream-colored envelope.

"Here. I suggest you get ready. I'll be packing an overnight bag with Miss Pauline."

"Oh, I already packed, Jazzy," Paulie informed him cheerfully.

"I'm sure you did," Jasper chuckled, grabbing her hand and following her to her room.

Bella, who was still completely stunned, opened the envelope in her hand, unfolding a sheet of thick paper.

_Edward Cullen_

_requires the presence_

_of Isabella Swan_

_at seven p.m. tonight._

_Formal attire._

_You will be collected at your front door._

Bella's heart started beating madly, both from the relief that he had not lost interest and from the sudden anticipation. And, of course, the challenges of evening wear.

**=oooOooo=**

**Thank you, dear dellaterra, and thank you, dear readers. **

**It's good to know that you are there when real life is as difficult as it is right now.**

**See you for chapter 9!**


	9. Chapter 9

**=oooOooo=**

**NINE**

Bella showered and scrubbed her skin with her massage sponge. She shaved her legs and underarms, giving special attention to the grooming of the small patch of hair at the apex of her thighs. She stepped out of the shower and put on an ultra-relaxing facial mask while she used her favorite body lotion, which smelled of freesia and gardenia. She polished her toenails blood red and her fingernails with a clear coat. She plucked her eyebrows and brushed her teeth. Having taken off the mask, she started on her hair, pinning it up at the back of her head so that only a few stray curls framed her face. She brushed her teeth again, all the while thinking furiously about what to wear.

She possessed three evening gowns that she had bought for weddings and other social functions. The first one, a flowery thing, was better suited for the summer and she didn't like it anyway. Bella was partial to the black one with the low-cut back. On the other hand, the dark blue one showed off her hourglass figure. She tried on both and went with the dark blue one. It had long chiffon sleeves and hid those parts of her body she wasn't too happy about, while accentuating her lovely décolletage, her long neck and her collarbone. She put on her pearl earrings and started her makeup, keeping it light and natural.

By the time she put on her heels, Bella was mighty nervous, her stomach all queasy with anticipation. Luckily, she didn't need to suffer long, because at 7:01, a knock resounded on her door and she opened it, revealing Edward in a tuxedo, looking so stunning that it took her breath away. He looked hotter than anything she'd ever seen, the formal suit making a delightful contrast to his ever-messy hair. He smirked lopsidedly, and Bella could see him swallow as he looked her up and down, his green eyes shining with delight.

"You look… amazing," he said, stepping closer so he could kiss her. As always, there was that spark between them, making it hard to stop. "Beautiful," Edward murmured, taking Bella's hand and kissing it, fearing that he might succumb to the urge to throw her over his shoulder and have his way with her.

"Do you have your coat, love?" he asked softly, and Bella shuddered, both from his endearment and from his warm breath on her cheek. "Take a scarf too. It's really cold outside."

"Where are we going? Am I dressed appropriately?"

Edward smiled. "You are dressed perfectly. And I'm not telling you where we're going just yet. You'll have to wait and see."

Bella groaned jokingly, and Edward needed to take a deep breath. He swiftly helped her into her coat, kissing her neck as he did so. Already, the atmosphere was filled with sexual tension.

Edward's hand wrapped around Bella's as they took the elevator downstairs, where a cab was waiting. Edward opened the door for her and got in himself, merely telling the driver they were ready to go. They talked about inconsequential stuff as the taxi wound its way through the snowy Seattle evening.

"Is it okay that I did this? Asking Jasper and Alice to have the kids over?" His thumb was drawing lazy circles on her palm.

"Yes, of course." She looked at him, drinking in his sharp silhouette against the bright lights from outside.

"I like that those two found each other. They may seem like total opposites, but I think it's going to work." His eyes met hers, and for a second, she wasn't sure whether Edward was speaking about his sister and her best friend or about themselves.

"Yes," she said softly. "So do I."

Soon the taxi arrived at their destination, and Bella raised her eyebrows as she took in the festively decorated building.

"The Fairmont Olympic Hotel?"

"Yes." Edward smiled as he paid the driver and stepped out of the car, walking around to open Bella's door, offering her his arm. "This is their annual Mistletoe Ball. Did you know such a thing existed?" he asked as they walked through the front door.

"I had no idea… Shame on me, I guess, since I've lived here all my life."

Edward helped her out of her coat and handed it, along with his own, to the girl at the cloakroom. The foyer of the hotel was impressive, a majestic staircase dominating the large hall, which was all filled with marble and flowers and chandeliers. Reaching the ball's reception table, Edward announced his name and they were welcomed with a brilliant smile and two small sprigs of mistletoe, which the gentlemen fastened to their lapel while the ladies wore it as a corsage. Thus equipped, they climbed the imposing staircase to the ballroom on the mezzanine.

It was a magical night for both of them. There was champagne and a live band that played everything from swing to rock 'n' roll. The buffet was lavish and decadent, and they sat at a beautiful little table near the windows, enjoying the view of the bright city lights, the Space Needle glowing in the distance. They talked and laughed, and Bella felt so happy and carefree in Edward's company that she almost pinched herself to make sure that she really was here with this wonderful, gorgeous man who told her funny stories about his days at college, his little sister, his parents… She found that she was really getting to know Edward, and it was the best feeling in the world.

Later on, they danced, his arms holding her close as he led her, and she felt as if she were floating in the sky. When the song changed and the melody became slow and romantic, Edward pulled her even closer, gently swaying with her as Bella nestled her head against his neck, basking in his scent and sighing with contentment.

"Happy, love?" he murmured into her ear.

No one deserved to be happy more than Bella did. She was becoming more precious to him with every passing minute, and he wanted to make sure she would always be happy.

"Yes," Bella whispered, looking up in his eyes. "Very happy."

"That's good," he replied, his voice slightly thick, and then he bent down and kissed her. It was a soft and modest kiss at first, but soon became more passionate, and as the music reached its crescendo, both Edward and Bella were sitting on their own pink cloud.

Every guest had received a ticket to a special drawing, and the winners were announced at midnight. Bella won third prize: dinner for two at The Georgian, the hotel's elegant restaurant.

"Do you know who you're going to take?" Edward had his arms around her waist, sitting behind her as their eyes were directed at the stage, his low voice rumbling in her ear before he kissed it, causing Bella to shudder.

"Yes…" She sighed as Edward's lips ghosted over the sensitive pulse point at her neck.

"Who?"

"Maybe… little Miss Cullen… I hear they make an excellent version of fish fingers a la normande here…"

Edward growled playfully, burying his face in her neck as the other winners were announced.

"Evil woman," he murmured.

They danced more after all the prizes were awarded, completely enraptured with each other.

It was close to two when they arrived home at their apartment building, having spent the better part of the taxi ride kissing and touching, trying to keep it appropriate. The thought of having an apartment to themselves was intoxicating – or maybe it was the numerous glasses of champagne they'd had.

They didn't stop kissing while they were inside the elevator, and they were still wrapped around each other when they were in front of Bella's apartment. She giggled as she unlocked the door, Edward nibbling at her neck while his hands wandered to her hips.

They shed their coats, and it didn't take them two minutes until they were on Bella's couch, kissing passionately, without any risk of being caught.

Bella shuddered with pleasure as Edward sucked and nibbled, his soft lips molding perfectly around hers. She was pressed into the cushions, Edward's weight feeling delightful as he hovered above her, one hand on her hip, the other in her hair. They were both beginning to breathe heavily, and the tiny sounds that escaped Edward's throat made her stomach flutter.

He kissed a little trail over her jaw line until he reached the sensitive spot under her ear. Bella sighed, her arms moving closer around Edward's neck, her fingers entangled in his hair. She had lost her ability to think clearly, drowning in his scent, his taste, the sensation of his lips and the feeling of his hot breath as it tickled her skin.

She wanted to feel more of him, her hands roaming his muscular back and his broad shoulders, pulling him closer on top of her as she pushed his jacket down his arms. Edward threw it on the floor and followed it with his tie.

"God, that thing was killing me," he chuckled thickly, opening the first few buttons of his shirt. Bella unconsciously licked her lips. Edward looked downright inviting, his lips as puckered and plump as hers own from all the kissing, his hair a wild mess, his green eyes burning and alive.

He smiled, taking her in his arms again.

"You're driving me mad," he whispered, kissing the side of her mouth. "You feel so good…" He ran his fingers up and down her side, almost but never quite touching the swell of her breast. "I want to touch you… so badly…"

"Please," Bella moaned, her hands balling up his shirt between his shoulder blades.

Softly, almost tentatively, he moved his hand a little higher, gently cupping her breast, which seemed to be made to fit perfectly in his hand. Both Edward and Bella groaned happily, and Bella could feel her excitement spread through her body like wildfire. His thumb brushed over her nipple, causing her to tremble, and he gave her breast a little squeeze. It felt indescribably good. She sank back and pulled him with her once more, needing to feel his weight on her body. She hooked her leg around his calf, which caused Edward to groan as he propped himself up on one arm, his hand still fondling her breast.

He couldn't help but press himself a little harder into her, desperate for some friction while his cock strained violently against the confines of his dress pants and he knew that Bella could feel it too. She sighed into his mouth as their kisses became more feverish, tongues and lips wantonly moving with each other.

Time and space were distant concepts as these two were overcome by each other, molten into a bundle of blissful togetherness.

Hours passed until they found the strength to let go, Even then, Edward couldn't stop at just one good-night kiss, couldn't confine himself to Bella's lips, but continued kissing her nose and cheeks and eyelids as well. It wasn't that they didn't both want to go further, but since everything was new and precious, it had to be handled with care, and so it went unspoken that they wouldn't go all the way after their first official date.

Bella took Edward to the door, where he pulled her into his arms again.

"See you in the morning?" he whispered.

"Mmm-hmm…" Standing on her tiptoes, she kissed him. "Can't wait for it…"

"How can I miss you already when you're right here in my arms?"

"I feel the same way…"

Another long kiss later, and he was, finally, gone. The smile on his lips as he floated up the stairs was the same as Bella's as she fell into bed: drunk with happiness.

**=oooOoo=**

**A/N:**

**Thank you for reading, and special huge big thanks to those of you who take the time to leave a review. It's the best reward I could wish for.**

**Thank you, dellaterra, for looking over this chapter again and making it better!**

**Remaining mistakes are mine. Or maybe I should just put the blame on my cat, who loves to wander over my laptop, LOL.**

**I do not own Twilight.**

**See you guys tomorrow.**


	10. Chapter 10

**=oooOooo=**

**TEN**

The girls had had a fun night with Jasper and Alice, and both of them were babbling excitedly in the backseat of Edward's car as they drove home late the next morning.

Edward had been standing in front of Bella's door shortly before ten, holding two steaming mugs of coffee. She'd still been in her pajamas, looking sleepy and disheveled, and unspeakably sexy. They'd had coffee, and Bella had made scrambled eggs while Edward distracted her with little kisses and whispered endearments.

Alice and Jasper had smiled knowingly once they had set eyes upon their brother and best friend, and Alice had been thrilled after they'd left, jumping into her boyfriend's arms and squealing, "They did it! They did it!"

Edward looked over at Bella when they stopped at a red light. She radiated contentment and joy, a slight smile on her delicious lips, her dark hair so silky and shiny that Edward had to control himself not to reach over and run his fingers through it. They had not spoken about the parameters of their relationship, but he hoped with his whole heart that Bella wanted this to be something permanent as much as he did.

"And what did you do?" Paulie asked from the backseat.

Bella's smile became even bigger as she turned around to the kids.

"Edward took me to a ball," she told them. "And we danced all night."

"A ball?" Lucy asked excitedly. "Like Cinderella?"

"Yes," Bella laughed. "But I kept my shoes on."

"You didn't run away at midnight, either," Edward smirked, quickly touching her hand.

"Can we watch Cinderella?" Paulie asked. "Alice has a bed like Cinderella, Mom. I want one like hers!"

"Well, let's wait and see what Santa brings, sweetie."

"I want to watch Cinderella too," Lucy piped up.

"We can get it from the video store," Edward suggested.

"And have a movie night?" Lucy asked hopefully.

The grown-ups looked at each other, their shared experiences creating a new bond between them. Both were more than eager to spend time together, and so they said, almost simultaneously, "Sure."

Everyone laughed, and they were still giggling and talking by the time they were on the elevator. Edward had some work to do, and Bella needed to do the laundry, send a few emails, and help Paulie tidy her room. They parted, Edward sneaking in a kiss that was closer to the corner of Bella's mouth than her cheek, and went their separate ways for a few hours. At five, Bella and Paulie went upstairs, Bella's heart and stomach so tense with excitement that she had to laugh about herself. She hadn't seen the man for five whole hours!

Edward and Lucy welcomed them with glasses of red wine and children's punch, and they went to the kitchen, where Edward had started to prepare pizza dough. He himself looked good enough to eat, Bella decided, in his usual low-riding jeans and a black v-neck sweater. God, that chest hair peeking out would be her undoing…

They worked together, the girls cutting mushrooms, bell peppers and zucchini while Bella grated cheese. When Edward had rolled out the dough on a pizza pan, Lucy put the tomato sauce on the pizza, Paulie spread it, and then they covered it with the ingredients, finally sprinkling the cheese on top. Edward put it in the oven and refilled Bella's wine glass while the kids scampered off to play with Fred.

"Hi…" Edward stepped behind Bella and enfolded her in his arms, lightly kissing her neck. Her enticing scent and the feel of her body made him giddy.

Bella closed her eyes and relaxed into his embrace. Things always felt so natural and easy with Edward. She wished everything could stay like this forever. Bella wasn't a woman to rely on a man for her sense of self-worth, but Edward made her feel cherished and pretty.

"I can't keep my hands off you," Edward whispered, his warm breath making her skin tingle.

"I love it that you can't," she replied, turning around in his arms. "But…"

"But?" He raised his eyebrows, his hands meeting at the small of her back.

"The girls…"

"I know," he said softly and kissed her nose. "Maybe we should talk to them?"

"And what do we tell them?" Bella asked anxiously.

"That we like each other? That we want to spend time with each other?"

They were both aware of the fact that they weren't really talking about their daughters any longer, but about themselves, and how they defined what was happening between them.

"Yeah, but what…" Bella stopped and bit her lip, a nervous habit that Edward had come to adore.

"If it doesn't work?"

She blushed slightly, and nodded.

"We don't need to rush things," he said. "But I guess they'll understand that we like each other… Because I _do_ like you, Bellababy. In fact, it's more than just liking…"

Loud barking resounded from the living room, destroying their moment. A second later, Fred came running into the kitchen, chasing his own tail a few times. The girls followed, looking slightly guilty.

"What did you do?" Edward asked his daughter sternly. Her aunt Alice had given Lucy a sense of fashion, which, unfortunately, Lucy liked to act out on her dog.

"We wanted to make a bow around his tail," the little girl explained. "For Christmas. I'm sorry." She patted Fred's ear, the dog luckily having regained his even-temperedness.

"Lucy, he's a dog, not a doll," Edward said. "You can't play dress-up with him."

"I'm sorry." Lucy looked very downtrodden.

Edward crouched down and kissed her cheek. "It's okay, honey. Just don't do it again, okay?"

"Okay, Daddy."

A few minutes later, the pizza was ready and they ate it in the kitchen, sappy Christmas music blaring from the radio while they talked and laughed. Edward watched Bella as she ate, thoroughly happy that this gorgeous woman had stepped into his life.

After dinner, they started their movie night, dimming the lights and setting popcorn, wine and apple juice on the table. The girls made themselves an extra cozy place of pillows and blankets in front of the large sofa, Fred falling asleep between them. Bella was leaning slightly against Edward's side as the movie started, and they gradually moved closer during the film. Edward's arm dropped from the back of the sofa and around Bella's shoulders, her head fell against his chest, and his nose skimmed her hair. When the movie ended, Bella's hand was splayed across his belly, and Edward's fingers were running up and down her back. They moved apart before the girls turned around, missing each other's warmth the second they did so.

Saying good-bye was hard, and Bella felt cold and lonely when she snuggled into bed that night.

The following week was the one before Christmas, and it was filled with last-minute errands, shopping trips and holiday preparations. Edward and Bella still saw each other daily, sharing dinner, going for walks with Fred and the girls, baking sugar cookies and simply enjoying each other's company. They would be spending Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with their families, as they did every year, and both were a little gloomy at the prospect at not being able to celebrate together, so they decided that they would have a pre-Christmas dinner on December twenty-third. The girls were delighted and wanted to have a sleepover, which was readily approved by their parents.

Bella and Edward had been kissing every chance they got, and one night, after Lucy was asleep and Edward had come downstairs for his good-night kiss, there had been some major touching and groping, but they still hadn't made it beneath the sheets, and Bella felt that she couldn't wait another day without combusting, so the sleepover seemed like a fantastic idea to her. The kids would be in the same apartment, so there was no need to part, and since they would be at Edward's larger place, there would also be enough distance between them so the girls wouldn't wake once things got going…

Bella was inwardly rubbing her hands as she got ready for the night, choosing a long blue sweater with a rather low neckline, and leggings that showed off her shapely legs. She was nervous about undressing in front of Edward, her body being far less perfect than his, but her longing to be with him was stronger than her nerves, and besides, they had been touching so much that he had to know by now she was no skinny supermodel.

Dinner was a fabulous affair. Edward had prepared everything for a fondue, and they had great fun cooking their pieces of chicken and beef and vegetables, enjoying the various dips and sauces he had made. Bella had done apple crumble for dessert, and it was still warm. They had vanilla ice cream with it and Edward moaned because it was so good. Somehow, he managed to get ice cream on the tip of his nose, making the girls giggle.

"What?" he made a funny face. Edward was very good at making funny faces, and the girls giggled more.

When Bella saw it, she laughed as well and wiped it off with her thumb.

"You've got ice cream on your nose, silly," she smiled.

Edward grabbed her hand and kissed it, realizing only a second later what he'd done. Instead of letting go, he gave Bella's fingers a little squeeze, his eyes posing a question. She squeezed back.

"There's something we want to tell you," he said, addressing the girls.

"Jazzy already _told_ me there is no Santa," Paulie said, "and I told Lucy, like, a long time ago."

Bella smiled. Their daughters had known each other less than four weeks.

"It's no big deal, Daddy," Lucy assured him. "But I still get presents, right?"

"Of course, honey." Edward chuckled and ruffled her curls. "But we want to tell you something else, since you're such big girls already."

"What, Daddy?"

Edward swallowed, and Bella's heart swelled when she saw how nervous he suddenly was.

"Well, you two like each other, right?"

Paulie and Lucy nodded.

"And, well, Bella and I, we like each other too. We like each other very much, and…"

"Are you having a baby?" Lucy asked excitedly.

"What? No!" Bella was so shocked that her reply came out a little harsher than she'd meant it. "I mean, no, Lucy. Your dad just wanted to explain to you that we… like each other, and, if, sometimes, you see us, I don't know, maybe kissing…"

"But you're kissing all the time," Lucy pointed out and Paulie nodded in agreement.

Edward and Bella felt quite sheepish, understanding that all their restraint had been in vain.

"Are you okay with that?" Edward managed to ask.

"Sure," said Paulie.

"Yeah, I like Bella," Lucy added. "Are you going to have a baby _someday_?"

The lack of a baby still seemed rather lame to her. In her book, grown-ups who kissed and hugged had babies.

"We'll see," Edward said, his voice rather hoarse.

"Okay," Lucy shrugged. "Can we watch _My Little Pony_?"

"Wow," Edward said once he returned from putting the TV on for the girls and choosing the channel. Most channels were coded anyway, because he didn't want Lucy to accidentally watch the crazy bullshit that was shown all the time. "That was easy."

Bella was already loading the dishwasher and storing the leftovers in containers. He took a stack of plates from her.

"You don't need to do that, love." He kissed her temple, putting the plates into the dishwasher.

"But I can, can't I?" She smiled and wrapped her arm around his waist. "Now that we're official."

"God…" Edward closed the dishwasher and pulled her against his chest. "Our little girls had it all figured out."

"They're smart girls," Bella smiled. "After all, they're ours."

With that, their lips met in a tender kiss, the relief at no longer having to hide their feelings making them lightheaded. Edward was everything Bella had ever wanted in a partner. He was thoughtful and caring, intelligent, funny, responsible and incredibly sexy. She, who hadn't believed there'd ever be a man who would fit into her small family, was overwhelmed at the enormity of her good luck, and she still found it hard to believe that this beautiful and perfect creature wanted _her_.

Two hours later, they put the girls to bed and Edward told them a goodnight story about a beautiful princess who had been living all on her own with her horse and dog until she met a prince who had been lonely too, and how they had many adventures and lived happily ever after.

Edward opened a bottle of wine and they cuddled up on the sofa, Bella's legs draped over Edward's thighs, his arms around her, their fingers entwined.

Kissing and touching, they talked about the next two days, aware that they would miss each other tremendously during that time.

"We'll have a fantastic breakfast tomorrow," Edward murmured against Bella's collarbone. "And we can text, and talk on the phone…" He kissed her milky white skin, going lower until he was above her breast. "That thing you're wearing," he whispered, "has an indecent neckline, did anyone ever tell you that?" He ran his fingers over her cheek and down her neck until he reached her breast, cupping it gently.

"It's a sweater," she sighed against his lips.

"No, Bellababy. A sweater is something you wear with jeans. This," he tugged at the material, "is immoral." He kissed her, his lips pulling and sucking.

"You're quite a tease yourself, you know," she moaned softly.

"Me?"

"Yes, you. Your ass. You show off your delicious ass all the time… And the way your hair peeks out… here…" She ran her fingers over his throat and lower.

"Baby…" His voice was rough as he pulled her on top of him so she was straddling his thighs. He kissed her with such fervor that they were both fighting for breath when they parted an inch.

Edward's hands were at the small of her back, his fingers splayed over her bottom, which felt sensational. She was wearing only those damned leggings, and he could feel her, all soft and warm, pressing down on his erection. No amount of masturbation he had done over the past days - hell, _weeks_ - was even close to the real thing, Bella's body. To Edward, it was like heroin, and he was getting hopelessly addicted.

Bella ran her hands under Edward's shirt, sighing once she felt the smooth skin of his back. She couldn't wait to feel all of him, to feel him inside her.

"Edward," she whispered, lightly licking over the side of his ear. "You feel so good…"

"So do you…" He squeezed her ass.

As unromantic as it was, though, Bella needed to go to the bathroom, had, in fact, been needing to go for some time, so she decided to do it now before things really got going.

"Edward…"

"Yes…" He was busy kissing the base of her neck.

"I… Ohh…"

"Mmm…"

"Edward…" This time, she tore herself from his lips, making Edward stare at her in alarm.

"Is something wrong?"

"No." She kissed his cheek. "I have to go to the bathroom…"

"Oh." He smiled goofily. "Okay." He playfully slapped her behind when she stood up. "Don't take too long…"

Bella looked at herself in the bathroom mirror as she washed her hands. Her cheeks were rosy, her lips a deep red. Her hair was crazy, but she didn't mind that. She was in her very own paradise.

She expected him to still be on the sofa when she returned to the living room, but Edward had gotten up and was looking out the window, watching the snowflakes tumble around in the black night.

"Hey." She leaned into his side and he put his arm around her, kissing the top of her head.

"I loved tonight," he said softly. "Thank you."

"What are you thanking me for?" she smiled. "I loved tonight too. Still do."

"Hmm." Edward kissed her forehead. "Does Paulie like chocolate-chip pancakes? I thought I'd make them for breakfast."

"Um, yeah, sure," she replied, startled by his apparent change of mood.

"Lucy is very excited about giving Paulie her gift," he said. "She had a hard time choosing it."

"So is Paulie," Bella said, but her breath caught. She didn't quite understand what was happening.

"I'll take you downstairs, okay? It's almost two, and we have two big days ahead of us."

They walked downstairs and Edward kissed her good night with the same tenderness and passion she was used to, but Bella was confused and upset.

"See you around nine?" he asked, his soft lips still so close to hers that their breaths mingled.

"Yes," she said. "If Paulie wakes up…"

"I got it," he said. "You're just a flight of stairs away." He kissed her again. "Sleep well, Bellababy."

**=oooOooo=**

**A/N:**

**Thank you for reading, and thank you, dellaterra, for betaing!**

**Remaining mistakes are mine and I do not own Twilight.**

**I'd love to hear from you…**


	11. Chapter 11

**=oooOooo=**

**ELEVEN**

But Bella did not sleep well that night. She hardly slept at all, wondering what she'd done wrong, and when. Everything had been perfect up to the point where she had gone to the bathroom. Had that put him off? No, that would be really immature. Had she been behaving as if she was very needy? Did he have second thoughts because she was a single mom? But he was a single dad, as well!

She tossed and turned, and only fell asleep in the early morning hours, weird dreams making her even more restless.

When the alarm rang at eight-fifteen, she felt like she'd been run over by a truck. She dragged herself into the shower, and unlike the previous weeks, succumbed to the old unhappiness about her body, feeling certain that it must be her squishy bits that had turned Edward off. She forced herself to be a big girl and not to cry, and concentrated on Paulie, and on the fact that it was Christmas.

She left the shower, toweled off, applied moisturizer, body lotion and deodorant, slipped into her underwear, chose jeans and a turtleneck, and put on some makeup. She packed an overnight bag for herself and Paulie, fed the bunnies and at nine a.m. sharp, knocked on Edward's front door. The girls opened her, both already dressed, their hair in identical pigtails, both of them all giggly and excited.

"But if Dad is your boyfriend now, why didn't you sleep here?" Lucy asked, wide-eyed and innocent.

Why, indeed, Bella's inner voice asked cynically.

Luckily, Edward spared her an answer, appearing from the kitchen with a spatula in his hand, looking sexier than ever.

"Hey, beautiful," he smiled, stepping close and kissing her softly. The girls cried "Eek!" and ran away to feed Fred.

"Did you sleep well?" He tucked a strand of hair behind Bella's ear.

"Yes, and you?"

"Missed you." He smiled crookedly.

"Can I help you with breakfast?"

"You could put the chocolate chips into the batter," Edward joked, kissing her again.

Breakfast was lively, the two excited children chattering away while Edward and Bella listened and joked with them. Edward would sometimes kiss Bella's cheek or put his hand on her leg, but she was unresponsive. The girls exchanged their gifts after breakfast, promising each other that they wouldn't open them before Christmas.

"I have a gift for you as well," Edward whispered into Bella's ear, "but I'd rather give it to you when we're alone, if that's okay with you?"

"Sure." She smiled, but it didn't show in her eyes.

Just then, Edward's phone rang and he answered it.

"It's my mom," he mouthed.

Bella made a gesture that told him to go ahead.

"Mom?" Paulie grabbed her hand. "I want to show you the fort Lucy and I made last night."

Bella let her daughter pull her into the hallway. Lucy took her other hand, and for a second, Bella wondered how it would be when she and Edward had broken up. Would they still be able to be friends, for the girls' sake? Because a breakup was inevitable, wasn't it?

She admired the "fort" the little girls had made of pillows and beanbags, looking around Lucy's room. Edward's sister had painted a scene with the rabbit from _Alice in Wonderland_ on one wall. There were lots of books, and even more toys. Bella noticed a tiny desk, which hadn't been there before.

"Is that new?" she asked Lucy, who was busy rebuilding the fort with Paulie.

"The desk? Uh-huh. My mom sent it. It's my Christmas gift."

"It's pretty," Bella said, stepping closer. It was the miniature edition of a Chippendale, very delicate and complete with a miniature chair. Maybe a little preposterous for a child of five, but then, she didn't know Lucy's mom.

Bella's eyes fell on a framed photograph on the desk.

Until then, she hadn't known what Lucy's mom looked like. Now that she did, Bella wanted to bawl her eyes out.

"Is that your mom?" She pointed at the picture.

"Yeah," Lucy nodded, showing no emotion whatsoever, getting back to her task.

Edward's ex-wife was exquisitely beautiful. The photo showed her smiling into the camera, the New York skyline behind her. She looked like Gwyneth Paltrow, like every regular woman's nightmare. She was skinny and blonde, her hundred-volt smile white and dazzling. She was perfection.

Bella suddenly felt sick as all the pieces of the puzzle clicked together. If that was her competition, even if it was competition from Edward's past, there was no way she would ever win.

It was completely discouraging, and Bella's heart sank and sank.

Edward came in a few minutes later, telling Lucy that her grandparents were looking forward to seeing her.

"You okay?" he asked Bella. "You look a bit pale." He kissed her cheek.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I guess we really should be going. We still have to collect Jazzy, and Dad is always fussy about lunch."

Edward sighed.

"Okay. I'll give you a call when we're at my parents'." He pulled her close. "I'll miss you so much, Bellababy…"

"I'll miss you too," she croaked, almost tearing up. She stepped out of his embrace and called out to Paulie. Some kisses later, she and Paulie were getting their bags and the presents for everyone, and were on their way.

Jasper and Alice shared a never-ending good-bye at his front door, which made Bella slightly aggressive. Once he was in the car, her best friend sensed immediately that something was wrong, but he figured that Bella would have given him a call if it was something about Paulie, and decided to wait until they were alone.

Charlie was overjoyed to see his daughter and granddaughter, as well as Jasper. They had the traditional Christmas Eve lunch of trout caught by Charlie himself, and then the men carried in the Christmas tree and started decorating it while Bella and Paulie baked Christmas cookies. Bella's sadness was almost palpable, so that even her five-year-old daughter worried what the matter was.

Dinner was simple, and afterward they played board games, Jasper and Charlie sharing a few beers and Bella knocking back three glasses of Chardonnay. At bedtime, Jasper tucked Paulie into bed, telling her that the sooner she slept, the faster Santa would come. Paulie rolled her eyes and reminded him that he had already told her there was no Santa, but she still wanted her gifts so she went to sleep quickly.

Charlie was glued to the TV watching some football game, so Jasper joined Bella in the kitchen, where she was kneading dough, angrily bashing it on the table.

"Lollipop," Jasper started, leaning against the counter, "what the fuck is the matter?"

Bella grunted and continued to abuse the dough.

"Bell."

"Am I so ugly?" she burst out. "Am I so fat? Why won't that dickhead fuck me?"

Jasper's chin almost dropped to the floor.

"You…. You haven't had sex with him yet?"

"No!" Bella almost screamed, and then collapsed against her best friend's chest, sobbing out her anger and humiliation and disappointment.

Jasper comforted her the best he could, but he couldn't explain the situation either. From what he had heard from Alice, and what Alice had heard from her brother, Edward was totally captivated by Bella, so Jasper was stumped for an answer as well.

All he could do was offer his friend another glass of wine and a shoulder to cry on.

Once she was in bed, Bella re-read each of the messages that Edward had sent her during the day.

_I miss you. E_

_I'm thinking of you. All the time. E_

_Wish you were here. This is so pointless without you… E_

_Thinking of your lips, sweet Bella… E_

_Are you okay? Haven't heard from you all day. E_

_I'm getting worried, Bellababy. Please tell me everything's okay. E_

At last, she typed in a reply.

_**I'm good. Have yourself a merry little Christmas. B**_

She fell into a heavy, wine-induced sleep, dreaming of Edward's green eyes and his lips and his crooked smile.

Christmas Day came with heavy snow and, on Bella's side, a splitting headache. Charlie cooked a big breakfast and they ate and exchanged presents. Paulie was over the moon with all the gifts she received, from a smurf villa to a little tutu, the costume for her teddy bear, DVDs and ice skates. The gift from Lucy was a horse for her Barbie doll, complete with a trailer that could be attached to Barbie's car. Lucy had made a card with the drawing of Santa and a Christmas tree. Next to the tree were four figures. One was tall and had ginger hair and green dots for eyes, the one next to it had dark eyes and brown hair. They each had a smaller person by their side, one with curly hair that was ginger as well, the other with dark hair. Bella's eyes filled with tears when she saw it.

Inside was a message written by Edward, his handwriting surprisingly elegant and delicate.

_Dearest Bella and Paulie,_

_We wish you a wonderful Christmas with your loved ones. Enjoy the day and have a great time. We'd love to share it with you, but we'll see you tomorrow._

_Many hugs and kisses,_

_Edward and _(this was written in her own clumsy hand)_ Lucy_

There was a tiny note on the back on the card, which Bella almost overlooked.

_Sweet Bella,_

_I got my Christmas gift more than three weeks ago: I met you, and that was the best thing that has happened to me in a VERY long time. Right now, I am thinking of you, my love, because that's what I always do._

_E._

She told Jasper about the note when they were preparing dinner later that day.

"I don't understand him, Jazzy. What's going on?"

"Maybe he's impotent?" Jasper wondered as he did the stuffing for the turkey.

"I don't think so," she whispered. "I felt him. You know… Up, close and… _up_. I think he's _huge_, by the way." Bella groaned, not even noticing how Jasper rolled his eyes. She had never been so sexually frustrated in her life. This man was maddening!

Later, they all went for a walk and had hot buttered rum when they returned home. Charlie read Paulie from her Sam Pig book while Bella and Jasper put the finishing touches to their dinner, and at five-thirty, Sue Clearwater and Charlie's old friend Billy Black arrived. They spent a nice evening and everyone had far too much turkey and mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce and sparkling apple cider. Bella's mood had slightly improved after she talked to Edward on the phone and he had sounded genuinely upset about not being with her. Jasper called his family and had to promise that he would visit early in the New Year. His parents had moved back to Texas five years ago to take care of his ailing grandmother, and Momma Whitlock never stopped whining about it, missing her Jazzy and Rosie and her only grandson Pete.

Paulie went to bed early that night, exhausted from the big day. The grown-ups kept chatting for a couple of hours, and Bella was now, more than ever, certain that her dad and Sue had something going on. She went to bed before everyone left, hugging them goodnight and thanking them for a lovely evening.

She lay awake for a long time, staring up at the ceiling and wondering what had gone wrong with Edward.

She needed to work the next day, so she got up before anyone else did, breakfasting on a cup of coffee. Charlie would drive Jasper and Paulie home and she'd join them when she finished work. She was just getting ready to leave when the kitchen door squeaked. Bella smiled at the familiar sound - it had been waiting to be oiled for at least three years. Charlie came in, a sleepy smile under his moustache.

"Bye, pumpkin."

"Dad. I didn't think you'd be awake yet."

He shrugged. "It's my time." He hugged her. "Don't worry about that guy, Bell. He'll come around to you."

Bella just kissed his cheek, grateful for his unspoken understanding.

Charlie waved after her as she took off into the dark, snowy morning.

Bella had agreed to do a few long shifts in order to have Christmas off, so the following days were filled with work. It was a welcome distraction that kept her from brooding too much. She had seen Edward and Lucy a couple of times, and Edward had been as tender and attentive as always, but she had avoided being alone with him. She knew they needed to talk one of these days, but she was putting it off, fearing the impending hurt and disappointment.

Edward didn't understand why Bella was suddenly so distant. Had he said something wrong? Was she pissed because they hadn't been able to spend Christmas together? Had he been coming on too strong with his physical advances? He wanted to talk to her, but she had to work a lot, and there never seemed to be any chance to get her alone. Edward felt sad and lonely, two emotions he had been used to before meeting Bella, but not since.

There were plans, mainly pushed by Alice Cullen, to celebrate New Year's Eve together, and she had persuaded Edward to have the party at his home. She would take care of everything; all Edward needed to do was buy the champagne. Edward had gladly acquiesced, since he wanted to be with Bella anyway, and also liked his sister's presence as well as Jasper's.

While Alice was busy shopping and browsing through recipes for her buffet, Edward had asked her a favor. Would she and Jasper take the girls overnight the day before New Year's Eve? He needed to get Bella alone, badly.

"Of course they can come!" Alice had replied. "We'd love to have them here! They can help with the decorations I'm making."

Edward was so happy and relieved that he didn't tell his sister not to bring any confetti this year, since he had found tiny colored dots in odd places for a year after the last time Alice had "done the decorations."

He took a deep breath and speed-dialed Bella's number. It was just after nine p.m., so he was pretty certain she would be home and Paulie would be asleep.

"Hi Edward," she greeted him, picking up after the third ring. She sounded tired.

"Hello, stranger," he said. "How are you doing?"

"Okay, I guess. The past few days have been rather long…"

"I thought so. But you still have New Year's off, don't you?"

"That's right. Paulie is looking forward to the party."

"Do you think she'd be okay with spending tomorrow night with Lucy and Jasper at Alice's?"

"Yes, of course. She loves it at your sister's. Why?"

"Because I want to cook you dinner."

Bella swallowed. So this would be their moment of truth, the dreaded conversation in which Edward would admit that he liked her as a friend but found her sexually unattractive. She had it all figured out in her pretty little head.

"Okay," she said blandly. "Does seven work for you?"

"Um, yes," Edward replied, slightly startled by her neutral tone.

"Good. Then… I'll see you tomorrow at seven."

**=oooOooo=**

**A/N:**

**Ohhh, my heart is hiccupping. Only one more chapter to go…**

**Thank you for reading. Please leave a review if you liked it. It is the one and only reward I get.**

**Dellaterra is my gorgeous beta.**

**Remaining mistakes are mine; I do not own Twilight (just in case you thought I did.)**


	12. Chapter 12

**=oooOooo=**

**TWELVE**

Edward had been nervous all day, and the closer it got to seven, the more anxious he became. He was serving a wild mushroom soup, lobster ravioli and mousse au chocolat. Everything was ready. The soup only needed to be heated, the ravioli were stuffed and just had to be boiled, the mousse was in the fridge, and the champagne was sitting in its cooler. He had set the table in the living room, decorating it with a huge bouquet of freesia and gardenia.

Bella's Christmas gift was tucked into the pocket of his dress pants, making Edward even more nervous.

She arrived shortly after seven, looking enchanting in a long-sleeved grey wrap dress that perfectly accentuated her curves.

"Hi," Edward smiled, taking her hand as she came in. "You look beautiful."

"Thanks. You look very good yourself."

"Would you like a glass of champagne?"

"Yes. Yes, I'd love one."

He pulled out a chair for her and poured them two glasses of Veuve Cliquot.

"To… us?"

He smiled the panty-dropping crooked smile that made Bella's heart stumble.

They clinked their glasses together and drank, the many things that were unspoken hovering above and between them.

Edward left to get the soup after a few minutes of small talk. Bella complimented him endlessly on his cooking, and they spoke about the past days and what they had been doing. Lucy was getting excited for her first day at kindergarten, and Edward would be working on the music for a pilot about a guy that never aged and had to endure high school over and over again. They laughed and wondered how horrible that would be.

Edward served the main course, and Bella closed her eyes as she tasted the delicious pasta, which was accompanied by a fluffy sauce of champagne and lobster, tangy and velvety.

"I didn't know you could cook like that, Edward!"

"Thanks. I used to take classes, but I hardly ever get the chance to try stuff like this. Lucy prefers dino nuggets and mac and cheese."

"She'll get to an age where she appreciates it. I certainly do. It's amazing."

"Thanks."

For a few minutes, they ate in silence, enjoying the marvelous food and champagne, but when Edward couldn't stand it any longer, he stretched out his hand across the table and put it around hers, which was soft and cool. "I missed you these past few days," he said gently.

"I missed you too." Her voice was so low he hardly heard her. He saw her bite her lip. What was it that made her so despondent? He stroked his thumb over her wrist, his heart almost bursting with all the things he felt for this wonderful woman.

"What is it, Bella?"

"I'm sorry?"

"What's going on? I can tell that something is wrong. Ever since Christmas, you've been acting weird. Is it something I did? Something I said?"

"No," she uttered, her lip trembling. "Nothing you _did_."

"Then what is it? Please talk to me."

Unable to suppress her tears any longer, Bella got up and walked to the window, her back turned to him. He followed her, hesitating before he put his hands on her shoulders. She always felt so small, so soft and feminine in his embrace. Her shoulders were shaking as she cried, torturing Edward's heart.

"Please…" he whispered, making the hair on the back of her neck stand up.

"On Christmas Eve, while you were making pancakes," she said, sniveling as she tried to hold her tears back, "Paulie and Lucy showed me the fort they had made in her room." She swallowed, a broken sob escaping her chest. "And I saw the desk from Lucy's mom…"

Edward snorted as he thought of that idiotic gift. For Tanya, things were good if they were expensive. He didn't even want to know how much she had paid for that useless piece of furniture. He couldn't very well let Lucy sit at it with her finger-paint and Play-doh, could he?

"And I saw the picture on it," Bella told him in a shaky voice, "the picture of your ex-wife… She… she's beautiful…"

Edward shrugged, which Bella couldn't see since he was still standing behind her. Yes, considering average standards, Tanya was beautiful, but she didn't have any of Bella's warmth and liveliness. She didn't have Bella's large heart.

When Edward remained silent, Bella slowly turned around to face him.

"Is that the reason you won't sleep with me, Edward?"

"The… _What_?" He looked at Bella as if she'd grown a second head.

"Because I'm not beautiful? Because I'm… chubby?"

"_What_?" Edward was utterly aghast. "I don't want… _What_?"

"We've been making out all the time, and at first I thought you just wanted to wait because things were so fresh, but then I understood you just don't want to have sex with me because…" She was sobbing heavily now. "Because I'm _fat_!"

Edward was speechless for a second, but quickly recovered and looked at her with a fiery expression.

"Bella. I've been wanting to sleep with you for weeks. My cock is revolting. I have blue balls. I am sick of my hand."

"You… You…" She looked at him with wide, mascara-stained eyes.

"Bella, you're beautiful. You're fucking sexy. I've been going mad with frustration. The only reason I was reluctant was that I never wanted you to think that it's only about sex for me."

He pulled her in his arms and kissed her. It started out tenderly, their lips meeting for the first time in a week, but soon became heated and feverish, their mouths melting and their hands roaming.

Edward was pressing her against the windowpane, his hands running over her ass while his lips devoured her, hot gasps resounding as they came up for air. He licked over her neck and then sucked, probably leaving a mark, but Bella couldn't have cared less.

"You're so beautiful," he repeated in a whisper, causing her to shudder as he kissed her collarbone, his hand covering her breast. "You're perfect…" He ran his thumb over her nipple, which was straining against the material of her bra and dress, and then he greedily pulled the fabric to the side, groaning as he saw it, pink and stiff. Edward bent down and ran his tongue over it, both of them gasping with pleasure. He licked a small circle before he sucked lightly, and Bella threw her head back and buried her fingers in his hair.

She might have come from the sensation alone, but when Edward pressed himself against her and she could feel him, big and hard, she whimpered with want. In one decisive move, Edward lifted her up and she twined her legs around his waist as he carried her to the bedroom, never once pausing his kisses. He carried her as if she weighed nothing, and Bella had never felt so treasured.

They reached Edward's room, which Bella hadn't seen before, and fell onto his king-sized bed, Edward propping himself up on his elbows so as not to smother her. Bella's legs wrapped around him once more, and now that he was on top of her, she could feel him even better.

"Bella…" He looked at her between two kisses. "I want you… Do you believe me now?"

She smiled, breathing heavily, and nodded. "I want you too. I want you so much…"

He made a low grunting sound and buried his face in her hair, his hands running down her thighs until they reached the hem of her dress, which he pushed higher, desperate to feel more of her skin.

"Can I?" he asked throatily, pulling at the waistband of her tights.

Bella nodded, shuddering as he removed them and kissed every inch of skin he revealed. When he had taken her tights off, he kissed his way up her legs, stopping at the inside of her thighs, where he licked tiny patterns that made Bella squirm. He put an open-mouthed kiss on her through her panties, his breath hot and arousing. He grabbed her dress and pushed it higher, and Bella lifted her arms so he could take it off. She swallowed when he was finished, hovering above her, seeing her in only her black bra and panties. Bella felt shy for a second, but it was forgotten the moment Edward resumed his kisses, which were hungry and still conveyed the tenderness he felt for her.

Wanting to feel him, she pulled at his shirt while their kisses became sloppy and frantic. Edward quickly moved it out of the way and threw it somewhere while Bella was already greedily working at his belt. Together, they opened his pants and Edward shimmied out of them before he covered Bella's body with his. The sensation of their skin touching at long last made both of them shiver.

His scent was intoxicating, and Bella was losing herself in the pleasure of his lips and hands. They rolled around on the bed until she was on top, pressing her wet heat against him as she straddled him. Edward's hands immediately moved to her breasts, cupping them as he watched her writhing on top of him, her hair flowing down her shoulders, her eyes almost black in the soft light from the bedside lamp.

His fingers traveled to her back, stopping momentarily to make sure she was okay with him unhooking her bra. Bella merely murmured his name, her own hands moving over his chest, the light dusting of hair tickling her wonderfully.

Her bra flew to the end of the bed, and Edward had to take a deep breath so as not to come from the sight of her voluptuous breasts, combined with the feeling of her moving against him. She was spectacular, the essence of femininity, and Edward thanked the universe for having her in his bed.

Once he'd done this, he turned her around with him and feasted on her body, licking and nibbling and sucking until Bella was uttering high-pitched moans. She had her legs around him and grabbed his ass to pull him even closer. She slipped her hands inside his boxer briefs, the feel of his firm cheeks totally erotic. She pushed his underwear lower, as low as she could get it, her fingers digging into his broad thighs. She moved her hands over them, feeling the hair and muscle, his tall, hard body the exact opposite of hers.

"Bella… " he groaned. "Bellababy… You sure you want this?"

"Yes. Yes… _Yes_…"

He ripped off his boxers and kissed her deeply while his hand slipped into her panties. He moaned into her mouth when he felt how wet she was, exploring her with careful, wanton fingers that were stroking and learning. She bit his shoulder when he entered her with one, then two fingers, her scorching hotness welcoming him.

"Oh Edward… Oh… Oh God…"

He slightly curled his fingers inside her and she sucked at his neck so violently that it was almost painful, but Edward didn't even notice. He tried to pull her panties off with his free hand, and with her help, managed to do so.

At last, they were completely naked, their bodies touching everywhere. Edward kissed Bella's lips.

"Still sure?"

"Stop asking," she whispered.

Edward opened the drawer of his nightstand and grabbed a condom. As Bella's eyes wandered lower to where he was unrolling it, she got her first proper look at him, and she sighed and licked her lips. He was perfect, large and erect, straining against his belly. Edward caught her staring and smirked.

"Like what you see?"

Bella swallowed and nodded, and he crawled back on top of her, positioning himself between her legs. She thought she would explode into a million pieces when he entered her, the thick head probing inside, stretching her. He moved slowly, both to let her adjust to his size and because he had to work really hard on not coming right then.

Their eyes connected when he was all the way in, and Bella curled her arms around his neck. He stayed still, the vein on his neck showing from the effort. He kissed Bella, and when he began to move, they didn't stop kissing and looking at each other. They felt complete, in a way neither of them had felt before.

It was tender and passionate, becoming more frenzied after a while, Bella's nails digging into Edward's back as his moves became more urgent and he entered her deeper and harder, their grunts and moans unrestrained and urgent. Bella could feel herself coming, and she shuddered as her release claimed her, overwhelming her with a series of powerful waves, making her cry out as she was thrown over the edge. Her whole body seemed to erupt in fireworks, and Edward had never seen anything so beautiful. Only then did he allow himself to follow her, groaning deep in his throat as he thrust into her with wild abandon until he felt himself tighten, and his orgasm washed over him with the force of a freight train.

His movements slowed and he collapsed, burying his face in Bella's neck as she wrapped her arms around him and they tried to regain their breath and their wits. Both were covered with sweat, their limbs rubbery and exhausted. Edward kissed Bella, softly this time, and pulled out of her, making her mewl at the loss of his warmth. He turned away from her and wrapped the condom in a tissue, dropping on his back and pulling Bella close. She rested her head between his chest and stomach, and Edward stroked her hair.

"Do you believe now that I want to sleep with you, Bellababy?"

She smiled dreamily and put a kiss on his warm skin.

"I do."

"Good. Because you're not going to get rid of me anytime soon."

"I'm not?"

She moved so she could look at him, her hair a dark curtain around their faces.

"No. And do you know why that is?"

"Do tell." She kissed his chin.

"Because I'm in love with you. I think I have been since that day I met you under your mistletoe."

He pulled her close and kissed her, their lips playing and dancing with each other until Bella pulled back a little bit.

"I'm in love with you too, Edward." She kissed him lightly, enjoying the taste and feel of his lips.

"Mmm," he sighed, one hand finding its way back to her breast.

He remembered something, kissing her softly before he began to look for his pants. Bella kissed the back of his neck as she giggled.

"What are you doing?"

"Ah. Here it is."

Edward moved back under the sheets with her and produced the small blue box he had been carrying around for a week.

"What's that?"

"That's my Christmas gift for you, my love."

"But… but…" Bella shook her head. "_No._ You can't give me jewelry. Especially when my gift for you is downstairs in the sock drawer, and it's a fucking handmade storage folder for your sheet music…"

"Who made it?" Edward asked, his nose touching hers.

"Paulie and me…"

"And why would that be any less precious to me than all the jewelry in the world?"

He kissed her softly, and Bella's brain, which had not been functioning right for hours, gave in as Edward's lips spoiled hers for any other man.

"So?" he mumbled, his naked body covering hers once more.

"Okay…"

He kissed her nipple and grinned victoriously as he handed Bella the small box, watching her as she sat up.

"Open it for me," she demanded.

"Here." Edward used his thumb to flip the box open.

Bella's eyes became bigger than they already were as she saw what was inside.

"Edward…"

He couldn't hide his pleased smirk as he took the bracelet out of the box and moved to fasten it around Bella's wrist.

It was a delicate platinum chain with a charm in the shape of a small sprig of mistletoe, decorated with tiny pearls.

On the back, the letters P, B, E and L had been engraved.

=THE END=

**A/N:**

**Dear readers, **

**I don't know why, but this story is incredibly close to my heart. Thank you so much for the love and support you've shown throughout the posting of my little Christmas shortie. Each and every review was important to me, and has made me try to be better.**

**To thank you, I will post a tiny epilogue tomorrow.**

**Thank you from the bottom of my heart to my wonderful beta, dellaterra. I'm so happy that I found you.**

**Remaining mistakes are mine, Twilight isn't.**

**I wish you all a healthy and happy 2012!**


	13. Epilogue

**=MISTLETOE AND YOU=**

**EPILOGUE**

Paulie smiled proudly. She had just finished her first piano recital, and as she bowed in front of the audience, she could see her dad applaud wildly. It was he, after all, who had introduced her to the piano seven years ago.

Mr. Cope, her piano teacher, had been telling her all the time that she was incredibly talented, but it wasn't until now that Paulie truly believed him.

Both of her parents wore big smiles on their faces, and Paulie couldn't help but grin happily.

Her mom made little Larry wave his small hand. Pauie's two-year-old brother didn't really know what he was doing, but he grinned all the same, and Paulie loved him even more for it.

Lucy and Alice were almost bouncing in their seats, Jasper merely smiling at his wife's exuberance. She looked funny, her baby belly seeming almost too big on the tiny woman who was cheering wildly for her niece.

Bella turned toward Edward, who slid one arm around his wife's waist as he kissed Larry's head. Her eyes were teary.

"She was brilliant…"

"Yes, she was," Edward murmured. "But then, she's our daughter. She can't help it."

"Pshh," Bella said, fussing with Larry's shoe.

"Mmm, you know that I'm right, love." He kissed her temple. "Because you are perfect," he whispered into her ear, his warm breath making all the hairs on Bella's arms stand up.

"You're being silly," she said, settling Larry on her hip and grabbing Edward's hand as they got up and walked toward the foyer of Paulie's music school.

"I'm right," he grinned, suppressing the desire to grab Bella's delectable behind. "And I will prove it to you…" he whispered into her ear, causing her to shudder. "Later… tonight…"

Edward was very close by now, and it encouraged Larry to put his small hand on his dad's ear, creating a break in his parents' exchange.

Conversation was lively as families and teachers gathered in the foyer of Paulie's school. Edward didn't make much of it when his wife asked him to take Larry, who was getting a little cranky. He also didn't question the fact that she needed to go to the bathroom three times in a relatively short period.

Lucy was aware of the fact that Bella had been behaving oddly for a couple of weeks, and she had tried to alert Paulie to the fact, but Paulie had merely suggested that her mom might be stressed over her finals at college.

At the age of thirty-five, Bella had finally earned her Masters in English and was currently submitting applications, doing job interviews and writing an essay on Jane Austen.

The whole family came to have dinner at Edward and Bella's new home, and everyone was conversing happily, laughing and enjoying their food. Edward's parents, Esme and Carlisle, were there, along with Charlie and his new wife, Sue. Jasper had a contented look on his face as he leaned over to kiss Alice, who was giggling and whispering with Paulie, while Lucy was watching Bella like a hawk, noting every time she left the table and went in the direction of the bathroom.

After they had eaten dessert, everyone gathered in the living room. No one noticed that Edward and Bella had disappeared momentarily, since Emmett kept everyone laughing with his Christmas speech.

Lucy's ears perked up when her parents rejoined them, her dad's arm wrapped closely around Bella's waist, his fingers splayed almost to the point where they reached her abdomen.

She wasn't surprised when Edward raised his voice to announce some wonderful news. After all, the Christmas season had always been a good one, and, once everybody had congratulated them, she merely grinned and rolled her eyes when she saw her sentimental parents kiss under the mistletoe.

**=oooOooo=**

**A/N:**

**Thank you so much for all the wonderful reviews, you made me very, very happy. I'm glad so many of you enjoyed my story, as it is very close to my heart.**

**I wish each and every one of you a happy 2012!**


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